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: band · pop · wax · club · lean · temple · leaves · patient

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. club — for dancing
  6. band — a ring
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. pop — soda
  10. club — for golf
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. club — a group
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. wax — to grow
  18. pop — to visit
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. pop — music
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. band — a music group
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to bend

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