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: temple · wound · season · stand · pass · content · band · current

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. season — in sport
  4. pass — a permit
  5. current — happening now
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. content — happy
  8. current — electric
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. stand — to bear
  13. current — of water
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. wound — an injury
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. season — of the year
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. content — the amount
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. band — a ring

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