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: straw · rush · hide · bass · shower · stand · root · branch

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. root — of a plant
  3. stand — to bear
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. shower — to wash
  9. root — the cause
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. branch — a division
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. bass — low music
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. bass — the fish
  22. root — of a word
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. shower — rain

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