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: hand · chest · bank · mouse · fall · lie · stock · vault

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. fall — to drop
  6. chest — a box
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. vault — a safe
  9. stock — goods
  10. fall — to drop
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bank — for money
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. chest — of your body
  17. fall — the season
  18. stock — shares
  19. bank — for money
  20. hand — in cards
  21. chest — of your body
  22. hand — help
  23. bank — of a river
  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