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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. last — final
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. root — the cause
  6. kick — in football
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. root — of a plant
  11. rest — what's left
  12. root — of a word
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. last — finally
  15. ball — a great time
  16. degree — from a university
  17. pit — in a race
  18. rest — a break
  19. pit — a hole
  20. degree — temperature
  21. last — to go on
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. ball — a dance
  24. degree — an amount

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