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: content · straw · deal · temple · bark · game · shower · branch

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. content — the amount
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bark — to shout
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. deal — to handle
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. content — happy
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. shower — rain
  16. branch — a division
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. game — wild animals
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. game — a match
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. straw — a straw man

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