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 120 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: key · staff · board · content · saw · race · fall · cabinet

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. race — a contest
  4. staff — employees
  5. fall — to drop
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. key — for a lock
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. staff — a stick
  11. saw — the tool
  12. staff — employees
  13. key — in music
  14. fall — the season
  15. saw — the tool
  16. board — to get on
  17. race — the arms race
  18. content — happy
  19. key — the most important part
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. content — the amount
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. board — a committee
  24. fall — to drop

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