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 · deal · stick · pass · march · chair · mouse · wax

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. deal — to handle
  3. wax — to grow
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. march — music
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pass — a permit
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. march — the month
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. march — the month
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. pass — to spend time

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