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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rock — music
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. pass — a permit
  8. present — a gift
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. present — there
  15. wax — to grow
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — magic
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. rock — a stone
  23. fork — in a road
  24. present — the time now

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