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: fall · snap · hand · wake · prune · ball · lash · kick

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. fall — to drop
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. fall — the season
  6. prune — to trim
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. snap — to click
  9. wake — a trail
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — help
  12. prune — to trim
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — in football
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. ball — a dance
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. fall — to drop
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. ball — a great time
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. ball — a round shape

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