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: mark · bark · cabinet · drill · safe · hide · face · cold

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. drill — the tool
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mark — a grade
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. cold — an illness
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. drill — a practice
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to point toward
  14. cold — not warm
  15. mark — a trace
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bark — to shout
  20. face — to confront
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. drill — army training
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. safe — a strongbox

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