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: last · kick · racket · foot · squash · chest · tear · net

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. last — finally
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. squash — the sport
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. last — final
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. tear — to rip
  9. net — after costs
  10. tear — from crying
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. chest — a box
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. tear — from crying
  16. squash — to crush
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. last — to go on
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. foot — a measure
  21. chest — of your body
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — for catching
  24. chest — of your body

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