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: saw · shower · prune · rock · ball · lash · mouse · kid

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. kid — to tease
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. ball — a dance
  9. prune — to trim
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. rock — a stone
  12. saw — the tool
  13. ball — a great time
  14. rock — music
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. kid — child
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. shower — to wash
  20. saw — the tool
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. shower — rain
  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