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 · drill · stock · lash · safe · degree · suit · cold

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. stock — shares
  3. cold — not warm
  4. degree — from a university
  5. stock — goods
  6. drill — a practice
  7. suit — clothes
  8. prune — to trim
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. drill — the tool
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. degree — temperature
  14. cold — an illness
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. prune — to trim
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. degree — an amount
  21. suit — in cards
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. suit — to fit
  24. prune — the fruit

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