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: straw · coach · dip · toast · cold · branch · cabinet · wave

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. toast — bread
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. cold — an illness
  18. branch — a division
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. cold — not warm

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