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: scale · patient · stem · wax · chair · branch · staff · fork

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. chair — a leader
  6. wax — to grow
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. staff — employees
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. staff — a stick
  16. scale — in music
  17. branch — a division
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. scale — size or range
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. fork — in a road

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