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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  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. saw — past of 'see'
  2. snap — to click
  3. key — the most important part
  4. cold — an illness
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. key — in music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. cue — for pool
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cold — not warm
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bark — to shout
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bowl — a football final
  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