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: mate · root · toast · swing · hand · capital · perch · kick

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. capital — money
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. mate — to breed
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — in football
  12. capital — a city
  13. toast — bread
  14. perch — the fish
  15. swing — music
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mate — a friend
  18. swing — to play on
  19. root — the cause
  20. root — of a word
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — in cards
  23. root — of a plant
  24. mate — a partner

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