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: patient · track · file · band · straw · staff · wax · branch

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. wax — to grow
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. staff — employees
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. file — a tool
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. file — a line of people
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. track — a path
  14. staff — employees
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. band — a music group
  18. track — a song
  19. branch — a division
  20. track — to keep track
  21. band — a ring
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. staff — a stick
  24. file — a document

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