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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. degree — from a university
  4. net — in sport
  5. can — a tin
  6. rest — a break
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. can — a tin
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. chest — of your body
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — a practice
  13. chest — a box
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. kick — in football
  16. drill — army training
  17. net — after costs
  18. rest — what's left
  19. chest — of your body
  20. degree — an amount
  21. degree — temperature
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. can — to be able to
  24. net — for catching

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