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 120 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: dip · rash · bulb · straw · prune · craft · bank · fine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. rash — a series
  5. fine — all right
  6. craft — boats
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. dip — to sink
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bank — of a river
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bulb — for light
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. craft — a skill
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. prune — to trim
  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