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 · bark · dip · jam · wave · field · hide · shower

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. shower — rain
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. field — for sport
  13. field — farmland
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. field — a subject
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bark — to shout
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. shower — to wash

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