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: cabinet · rash · shower · saw · branch · wave · fan · bowl

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. branch — a division
  6. rash — a series
  7. shower — rain
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. rash — hasty
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. saw — the tool
  15. shower — to wash
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. branch — of a bank

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