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: hide · vault · pop · chest · pitch · land · lash · squash

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. squash — the sport
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. land — ground
  5. pop — to visit
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. land — a country
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pitch — completely
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. vault — a safe
  15. land — to come down
  16. pop — soda
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — a box
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. squash — to crush
  24. pop — music

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