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 116 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: mug · fall · patient · branch · net · wax · race · kid

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. net — for catching
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. race — the arms race
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. net — in sport
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. net — after costs
  12. fall — to drop
  13. mug — a cup
  14. wax — to grow
  15. kid — child
  16. branch — a division
  17. fall — to drop
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. race — a contest
  20. mug — a face
  21. fall — the season
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. kid — to tease
  24. mug — to rob

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