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: wax · patient · cell · pop · stick · saw · rest · nail

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pop — to visit
  3. rest — a break
  4. wax — to grow
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pop — soda
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. saw — the tool
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cell — a phone
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. rest — what's left
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pop — music
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cell — in biology
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. nail — for a hammer

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