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: press · content · temple · court · pit · march · bound · stand

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bound — obliged
  3. court — for sport
  4. stand — to bear
  5. pit — a hole
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. march — music
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. march — the month
  10. content — happy
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. press — to push
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. press — newspapers
  15. content — the amount
  16. court — of law
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. press — a publisher
  19. bound — certain
  20. pit — in a race
  21. court — of a king
  22. bound — tied together
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. temple — a place of worship

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