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: safe · temple · game · pound · cell · bank · march · last

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — a weight
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bank — of a river
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. cell — in biology
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. march — the month
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. last — to go on
  11. game — wild animals
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. game — a match
  15. cell — a phone
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. last — final
  18. bank — for money
  19. last — finally
  20. march — music
  21. bank — for money
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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