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: can · rest · leaves · degree · ground · kick · spring · lie

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. degree — from a university
  3. ground — crushed
  4. can — a tin
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. rest — a break
  7. can — a tin
  8. ground — a position
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. can — to be able to
  11. ground — the earth
  12. spring — a coil
  13. lie — to recline
  14. degree — temperature
  15. rest — what's left
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. kick — in football
  20. spring — the season
  21. degree — an amount
  22. spring — of water
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. kick — with a leg

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