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: bass · shower · board · dip · date · tear · pound · branch

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. shower — to wash
  3. tear — from crying
  4. branch — a division
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. bass — the fish
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. tear — from crying
  13. shower — rain
  14. bass — low music
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. dip — to sink
  18. board — a committee
  19. date — the fruit
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. board — to get on
  22. pound — a weight
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. tear — to rip

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