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: vault · kid · rash · pitch · leaves · straw · cabinet · hide

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. rash — hasty
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. vault — a safe
  7. kid — child
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. pitch — completely
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. rash — a series
  16. kid — to tease
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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