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: tear · cue · land · patient · trunk · wax · bound · cabinet

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. tear — from crying
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bound — certain
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. tear — from crying
  11. land — ground
  12. bound — tied together
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. land — a country
  15. tear — to rip
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. land — to come down
  18. wax — to grow
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cue — a signal
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bound — obliged

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