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: rest · vault · file · lie · cell · race · plane · land

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. land — ground
  3. file — a document
  4. land — a country
  5. rest — what's left
  6. file — a line of people
  7. race — the arms race
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. race — a contest
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. cell — a phone
  16. plane — a tool
  17. file — a tool
  18. cell — in biology
  19. land — to come down
  20. vault — a safe
  21. lie — to recline
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. race — humankind

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