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 120 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. cell — a phone
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. cue — for pool
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. cue — a hint
  8. branch — a division
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wax — to grow
  12. mark — a trace
  13. suit — to fit
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. suit — in cards
  18. cue — a signal
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. mark — a grade
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. suit — clothes
  24. cell — in biology

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