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: mate · ruler · foot · lash · date · court · racket · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. mate — a friend
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. court — of a king
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. mate — a partner
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. date — the fruit
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. foot — a measure
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. court — for sport
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. squash — the sport
  22. mate — to breed
  23. court — of law
  24. squash — to crush

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