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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bound — tied together
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bound — certain
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. march — music
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. last — finally
  13. march — the month
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bound — obliged
  17. last — to go on
  18. last — final
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. march — the month

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