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: vault · shower · lie · chair · row · rush · tear · ball

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. ball — a dance
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a leader
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. vault — a safe
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — rain
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. tear — from crying
  12. rush — hurry
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. ball — a great time
  15. tear — from crying
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. tear — to rip
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. row — a line
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. row — to paddle

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