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

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. cue — a signal
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. wake — a trail
  5. spring — a coil
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. spring — the season
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — the tool
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. spring — of water
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — for pool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. drill — a practice
  21. saw — the tool
  22. fall — to drop
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. fall — the season

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