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 120 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: lash · dip · row · stem · hand · wake · temple · land

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. land — a country
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. hand — help
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. stem — to come from
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. row — a line
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. wake — a trail
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. hand — in cards
  20. land — to come down
  21. dip — to sink
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. row — to paddle

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