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: lean · bound · game · staff · date · toast · jam · pitch

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bound — obliged
  3. game — wild animals
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. toast — bread
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bound — tied together
  11. date — the fruit
  12. lean — thin
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. game — a match
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bound — certain
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. staff — a stick
  21. pitch — completely
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. staff — employees
  24. lean — to bend

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