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 116 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: wind · land · shower · lie · rock · coach · file · vault

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. land — ground
  5. land — to come down
  6. wind — moving air
  7. file — a document
  8. land — a country
  9. shower — to wash
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. vault — a safe
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. lie — to recline
  18. file — a tool
  19. rock — music
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. file — a line of people
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wind — moving air
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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