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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: patient · tear · club · stand · clip · wax

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. club — a group
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — to bear
  10. clip — to cut
  11. club — for dancing
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. wax — to grow
  14. clip — for paper
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. clip — a video
  17. tear — from crying
  18. club — for golf

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