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: wound · patient · club · fine · stock · wax · chip · face

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. fine — all right
  5. stock — shares
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. face — to point toward
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. face — part of the head
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. club — a group
  12. wax — to grow
  13. stock — goods
  14. club — for golf
  15. wound — an injury
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. wound — an injury
  18. face — to confront
  19. chip — to eat
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. club — for dancing
  24. chip — for betting

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