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: chip · kick · squash · stand · land · court · temple · ground

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. squash — to crush
  4. land — a country
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. kick — in football
  8. chip — to eat
  9. ground — the earth
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. chip — for betting
  13. squash — the sport
  14. ground — a position
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. land — to come down
  17. land — ground
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of law
  20. stand — to bear
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. court — of a king
  23. ground — crushed
  24. kick — a thrill

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