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: firm · band · bank · wake · bulb · prune · date · wind

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  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. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wind — moving air
  6. firm — steady
  7. bulb — for light
  8. firm — a company
  9. bank — for money
  10. band — a ring
  11. prune — to trim
  12. firm — decided
  13. band — a music group
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. date — the fruit
  17. bank — for money
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bank — of a river
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bulb — of a plant
  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