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: snap · cabinet · last · cold · ruler · lash · bark · hide

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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. cold — an illness
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to click
  12. last — to go on
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cold — not warm
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. last — final
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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