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: present · key · bound · temple · bat · mate · fan · pound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — in music
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. present — a gift
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bound — certain
  11. mate — a friend
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. present — there
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bound — obliged
  16. mate — to breed
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. bound — tied together
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bat — the animal
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. present — the time now

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