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: squash · pitch · hide · toast · season · chest · race · trunk

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. squash — the sport
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — humankind
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. squash — to crush
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. season — in sport
  13. chest — a box
  14. chest — of your body
  15. race — the arms race
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. chest — of your body
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. season — of the year
  23. toast — bread
  24. pitch — completely

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