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: mark · rash · face · stick · lie · present · craft · chest

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. craft — a skill
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. chest — a box
  6. craft — boats
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mark — a trace
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. chest — of your body
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. present — there
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. face — to point toward
  15. present — a gift
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. lie — to recline
  18. face — to confront
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — a series
  22. present — the time now
  23. face — part of the head
  24. mark — a grade

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