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 · pitch · scale · game · board · bank · rush · wax

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bank — for money
  5. game — a match
  6. rush — hurry
  7. scale — in music
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bank — for money
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. board — to get on
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. pitch — completely
  21. bank — of a river
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. game — wild animals
  24. board — a committee

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