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

Word bank: patient · wake · wax · tear · club · craft

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. tear — to rip
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. tear — from crying
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — a trail
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. club — for golf
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. club — a group
  15. club — for dancing
  16. tear — from crying
  17. craft — boats
  18. wax — for sculpting

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