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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cap — of ice
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. scale — size or range
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bound — certain
  9. branch — a division
  10. bound — obliged
  11. scale — in music
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. prune — to trim
  14. fall — to drop
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cap — a hat
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. bound — tied together
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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