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 116 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: can · squash · racket · court · straw · kick

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. squash — the sport
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. court — for sport
  5. court — of a king
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. kick — in football
  8. squash — to crush
  9. can — to be able to
  10. court — of law
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin

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