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 · hide · mine · wax · wave · cell · rest · shower

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. mine — for digging
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. shower — to wash
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. cell — a phone
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. cell — in biology
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rest — what's left
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. rest — a break
  22. wax — to grow
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. shower — rain

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