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: shower · kid · staff · tube · fall · dip · cabinet · branch

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. tube — the underground
  3. branch — a division
  4. staff — a stick
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. shower — rain
  7. staff — employees
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. fall — to drop
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. fall — to drop
  13. kid — to tease
  14. tube — a container
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. fall — the season
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. shower — to wash
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. kid — child
  23. dip — to sink
  24. staff — employees

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