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: land · fall · plane · cabinet · stock · spring · wax · patient

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — a tool
  4. spring — the season
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. spring — a coil
  9. fall — the season
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. land — a country
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. fall — to drop
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. wax — to grow
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. spring — of water
  19. land — ground
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — goods
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. fall — to drop

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