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: prune · cell · firm · lash · bulb · wound · craft · bank

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bank — for money
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. prune — to trim
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. wound — an injury
  8. cell — a phone
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. wound — an injury
  11. firm — a company
  12. firm — steady
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. craft — boats
  19. bulb — for light
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. cell — in biology
  22. firm — decided
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. bulb — for light

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