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: spring · bowl · pass · present · land · rush · march · bound

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. spring — a coil
  4. march — the month
  5. present — the time now
  6. rush — hurry
  7. land — a country
  8. land — ground
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. present — there
  11. land — to come down
  12. march — music
  13. spring — the season
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bound — obliged
  16. spring — of water
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. present — a gift
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bound — certain

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