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: bear · content · pound · game · bay · temple · present · march

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. game — a match
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. present — there
  9. bear — the animal
  10. present — a gift
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. present — the time now
  18. march — the month
  19. content — happy
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. content — the amount
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — wild animals

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