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: cold · lean · race · plane · ball · safe · drill · lash

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. drill — a practice
  3. ball — a great time
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. race — humankind
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. race — a contest
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — thin
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. race — the arms race
  20. drill — army training
  21. plane — a tool
  22. ball — a dance
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. drill — the tool

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