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 · mine · fine · ruler · band · temple · dip · lash

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. mine — for digging
  4. band — a music group
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. fine — high quality
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. dip — to sink
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. band — a ring
  14. fine — all right
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. present — there
  17. present — the time now
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. present — a gift
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. mine — belonging to me

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