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: stock · snap · lash · kid · spell · ball · prune · drill

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. drill — the tool
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. stock — goods
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. snap — to click
  10. spell — letters
  11. kid — to tease
  12. kid — child
  13. drill — a practice
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. drill — army training
  17. spell — magic
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. stock — shares
  20. prune — to trim
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. spell — a short time
  23. ball — a great time
  24. stock — a soup base

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