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: pound · temple · stand · game · band · content · spell · capital

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. content — the amount
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. content — happy
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. band — a ring
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. spell — magic
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. stand — to bear
  15. pound — a weight
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a match
  18. band — a music group
  19. capital — a city
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. spell — letters
  23. capital — money
  24. band — a rubber band

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