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: capital · game · mine · court · temple · kick · bay · stand

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. capital — money
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. kick — in football
  7. court — for sport
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. court — of law
  12. game — a match
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — wild animals
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. court — of a king
  17. stand — to bear
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. capital — a city
  20. mine — for digging
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. stand — on your feet

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