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: wind · branch · nail · content · season · fan · patient · wax

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. season — of the year
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. branch — a division
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — to grow
  15. season — in sport
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. wind — moving air
  20. content — the amount
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. wind — moving air
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. content — happy

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