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: fine · foot · pitch · temple · racket · game · mine · land

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pitch — completely
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a match
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. land — to come down
  12. fine — high quality
  13. foot — a measure
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. land — ground
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. fine — all right
  24. land — a country

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