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 · bay · toast · mate · bark · bound · pound · rule

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — the time now
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. toast — bread
  5. rule — a law
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. pound — a weight
  9. rule — government
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. present — a gift
  16. bound — tied together
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bound — certain
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — to breed
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. bark — to shout

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