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: cell · toast · wound · season · bowl · board · pound · bound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. board — a committee
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bound — obliged
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. bound — certain
  7. wound — an injury
  8. season — in sport
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. cell — a phone
  12. season — of the year
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. board — to get on
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. toast — bread
  21. cell — in biology
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bound — tied together
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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