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: mine · rash · ground · patient · fork · wax · pass · stem

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pass — a permit
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. ground — the earth
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. wax — to grow
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. fork — in a road
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. stem — to come from
  16. mine — for digging
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. rash — hasty
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — crushed
  24. rash — a series

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