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: date · game · capital · toast · pit · bound · mate · chest

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. capital — a city
  5. mate — a partner
  6. capital — money
  7. toast — bread
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. game — a match
  12. date — the fruit
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — obliged
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. chest — a box
  17. mate — to breed
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bound — tied together
  20. pit — a hole
  21. mate — a friend
  22. chest — of your body
  23. game — wild animals
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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