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 116 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: bore · mark · root · band · season · wax · wave · patient

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. band — a music group
  3. season — of the year
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. root — of a word
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. root — the cause
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mark — a grade
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — to tire
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. band — a ring
  19. season — in sport
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. mark — a trace
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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