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: mate · sharp · wax · leaves · court · patient · rock · coach

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. mate — to breed
  5. court — of a king
  6. sharp — clever
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. court — of law
  10. rock — a stone
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. mate — a partner
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — to grow
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. rock — music
  22. mate — a friend
  23. court — for sport
  24. leaves — lets stay

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