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 · branch · toast · trunk · hand · pass · shower · dip

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pass — a permit
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. shower — to wash
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. branch — a division
  13. shower — rain
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. dip — to sink
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. toast — bread
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. hand — in cards
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. dip — a sauce

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