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: hand · race · lean · stand · cabinet · staff · pit · nail

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. lean — thin
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. hand — help
  5. lean — to bend
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. stand — to bear
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pit — a hole
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — a contest
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. staff — a stick
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. pit — in a race
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. staff — employees
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. race — humankind

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