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: arm · pitch · stem · fall · bound · lean · present · pound

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. present — there
  5. present — a gift
  6. fall — the season
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bound — tied together
  11. lean — to bend
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. bound — certain
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. present — the time now
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. stem — to come from
  21. lean — thin
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. pound — a weight
  24. bound — obliged

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