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: game · branch · roll · wave · wax · straw · craft · patient

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. craft — boats
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. roll — a list
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. game — a match
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. wax — to grow
  18. craft — a skill
  19. game — wild animals
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. roll — a cake
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. branch — a division

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