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 · ground · pound · cabinet · ball · branch · bound · dip

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. ground — crushed
  3. branch — a division
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. dip — to sink
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bound — certain
  10. pound — a weight
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. ball — a dance
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — obliged
  19. shower — to wash
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a great time
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — a position

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