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: lie · patient · hand · mate · wax · race · bound · court

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. mate — a friend
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — tied together
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. court — for sport
  13. race — the arms race
  14. bound — obliged
  15. court — of a king
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a partner
  18. race — a contest
  19. court — of law
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. hand — help
  22. race — humankind
  23. hand — in cards
  24. wax — in the ear

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