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: present · pound · date · content · roll · mouse · swing · wound

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. content — the amount
  5. pound — a weight
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — the fruit
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. swing — music
  10. present — the time now
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. present — there
  13. wound — an injury
  14. roll — a list
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. present — a gift
  18. swing — to play on
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. swing — in golf
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wound — an injury
  24. content — happy

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