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: lash · roll · season · ball · drill · court · net · saw

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. saw — the tool
  3. net — after costs
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. court — of a king
  7. season — in sport
  8. ball — a dance
  9. season — of the year
  10. drill — a practice
  11. roll — a cake
  12. court — of law
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. roll — a list
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. court — for sport
  17. net — for catching
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. drill — army training
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. drill — the tool
  23. net — in sport
  24. saw — the tool

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