ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fall · fork · pound · file · lash · race · bank · snap

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. fall — to drop
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. file — a document
  6. bank — for money
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. fall — the season
  11. bank — of a river
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to click
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. race — the arms race
  16. race — a contest
  17. file — a tool
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bank — for money
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. file — a line of people
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pound — a weight

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com