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 120 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: temple · scale · shower · bay · hand · branch · cabinet · wake

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. scale — in music
  5. hand — in cards
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. scale — size or range
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. hand — help
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. branch — a division
  19. shower — to wash
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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