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 116 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: mark · saw · wax · mug · patient · land · bay · snap

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wax — to grow
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — a cup
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. mark — a trace
  12. land — ground
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. mark — a grade
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. land — to come down
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. saw — the tool
  23. land — a country
  24. snap — to click

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