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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bank — of a river
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. firm — decided
  6. bank — for money
  7. prune — to trim
  8. net — in sport
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bound — tied together
  11. net — for catching
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. band — a music group
  16. bank — for money
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. band — a ring
  19. firm — a company
  20. net — after costs
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bound — obliged
  24. firm — steady

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