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: rash · shower · vault · chest · track · face · jam · lie

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. face — to confront
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. shower — rain
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. rash — a series
  7. vault — a safe
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. face — part of the head
  12. chest — of your body
  13. track — to keep track
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. track — a song
  17. chest — of your body
  18. rash — hasty
  19. shower — to wash
  20. face — to point toward
  21. chest — a box
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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