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 116 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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. wax — to grow
  3. stand — to bear
  4. object — to protest
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. prune — to trim
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. object — a thing
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. object — an aim
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. cold — not warm
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cold — an illness
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a committee

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