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 120 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: leaves · last · pound · bound · band · rock · fall · content

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. band — a music group
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bound — obliged
  5. last — to go on
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. content — the amount
  9. last — finally
  10. band — a ring
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — a stone
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — the season
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — tied together
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. last — final
  22. fall — to drop
  23. content — happy
  24. leaves — of a tree

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