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: branch · shower · cold · dip · saw · stand · object · patient

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. shower — to wash
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. object — an aim
  8. saw — the tool
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. cold — an illness
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. object — to protest
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — to sink
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. object — a thing
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. stand — to bear
  23. cold — not warm
  24. stand — on your feet

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