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 · rock · ball · drill · game · bore · pitcher · snap

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. drill — a practice
  3. ball — a great time
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. rock — music
  8. game — wild animals
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. game — a match
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. ball — a dance
  13. snap — to click
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — army training
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. rock — a stone
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bore — to tire
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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