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: hand · rush · race · mine · temple · bound · ruler · fine

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. rush — hurry
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bound — tied together
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. fine — high quality
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bound — certain
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. race — a contest
  14. bound — obliged
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — for digging
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. fine — all right
  21. race — humankind
  22. race — the arms race
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. mine — an explosive

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