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: racket · foot · swing · squash · leaves · stand · cold · can

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. swing — to play on
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. can — a tin
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. swing — in golf
  16. can — a tin
  17. stand — to bear
  18. cold — an illness
  19. can — to be able to
  20. swing — music
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. cold — not warm
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. cold — the Cold War

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