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: vault · ball · rest · shower · arm · rash · nail · chest

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. rest — what's left
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. chest — of your body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — a series
  11. ball — a dance
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. chest — a box
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. vault — a safe
  19. chest — of your body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a great time
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. shower — to wash

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