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: kid · rash · race · pound · hand · lie · rest · key

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. race — humankind
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. key — in music
  5. pound — a weight
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. hand — in cards
  8. rest — a break
  9. lie — to recline
  10. key — for a lock
  11. kid — child
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. key — the most important part
  17. rash — a series
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. race — the arms race
  20. rest — what's left
  21. race — a contest
  22. hand — help
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rest — what's left

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