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: lie · rest · tube · chest · object · race · bay · row

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. tube — the underground
  3. object — a thing
  4. lie — to recline
  5. chest — of your body
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. rest — what's left
  8. object — an aim
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. race — humankind
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. chest — of your body
  14. row — a line
  15. race — a contest
  16. object — to protest
  17. tube — a container
  18. row — to paddle
  19. chest — a box
  20. rest — a break
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. race — the arms race
  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