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: sharp · lash · prune · mine · pitcher · saw · kid · track

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. track — a song
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. track — to keep track
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. kid — child
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. prune — to trim
  13. kid — to tease
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. track — a path
  17. prune — to trim
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mine — for digging
  24. sharp — clever

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