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: hide · trunk · safe · bark · rock · nail · last · spring

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. last — finally
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. rock — music
  5. last — final
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bark — to shout
  11. spring — the season
  12. rock — a stone
  13. spring — of water
  14. spring — a coil
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. last — to go on
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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