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: trunk · roll · ruler · march · temple · present · toast · bound

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. present — the time now
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. present — there
  8. bound — obliged
  9. roll — a cake
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. march — music
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. roll — a list
  18. present — a gift
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — tied together
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. march — the month
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. toast — bread

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