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: court · club · temple · racket · pit · pound · face · game

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. pound — a weight
  3. court — for sport
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. face — part of the head
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pit — in a race
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. club — for golf
  11. court — of a king
  12. club — a group
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. face — to point toward
  15. court — of law
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. game — a match
  20. face — to confront
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. club — for dancing

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