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

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. mate — a partner
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a plant
  6. mate — a friend
  7. spell — magic
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. race — the arms race
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. scale — in music
  13. march — music
  14. march — the month
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. march — the month
  17. mate — to breed
  18. scale — size or range
  19. spell — a short time
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. root — of a word
  23. race — a contest
  24. race — humankind

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