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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. lie — to recline
  3. mate — a partner
  4. land — a country
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a match
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. land — ground
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — to breed
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. land — to come down
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. nail — on a finger

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