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: cue · drill · game · temple · hand · ruler · dip · chip

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. cue — for pool
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. hand — in cards
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. cue — a hint
  11. dip — to sink
  12. chip — for betting
  13. cue — a signal
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. game — a match
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — a practice
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. chip — to eat
  24. drill — army training

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