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: fall · land · firm · patient · bay · ground · trunk · wax

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. ground — crushed
  5. firm — steady
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. fall — the season
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. wax — to grow
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. land — to come down
  13. ground — a position
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. land — ground
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. land — a country
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — decided
  24. trunk — of a tree

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