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: club · field · present · root · scale · last · capital · kick

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. club — a group
  4. last — to go on
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — the cause
  7. field — for sport
  8. capital — a city
  9. scale — in music
  10. field — a subject
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. capital — money
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. present — the time now
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. scale — size or range
  17. field — farmland
  18. last — finally
  19. root — of a plant
  20. present — there
  21. club — for golf
  22. kick — in football
  23. club — for dancing
  24. last — final

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