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 · kid · track · toast · chest · drill · shower · object

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. object — an aim
  3. track — a path
  4. drill — the tool
  5. kid — child
  6. toast — bread
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. object — to protest
  9. track — to keep track
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — of your body
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. kid — to tease
  16. drill — army training
  17. chest — a box
  18. track — a song
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. drill — a practice
  21. shower — rain
  22. lie — to recline
  23. object — a thing
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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