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 120 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: lash · rush · tear · plane · patient · foot · wax · court

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. tear — from crying
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — hurry
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. wax — to grow
  7. tear — to rip
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of a king
  11. foot — a measure
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. plane — a tool
  15. tear — from crying
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. court — of law
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. plane — an aircraft

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