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: net · spell · wax · wound · bank · patient · dip · ground

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. spell — letters
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bank — for money
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bank — of a river
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — the earth
  11. wound — an injury
  12. ground — crushed
  13. net — after costs
  14. spell — magic
  15. net — in sport
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bank — for money
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. net — for catching
  21. spell — a short time
  22. wound — an injury
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. patient — a sick person

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