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: present · plane · fork · patient · wax · tube · court · bank

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. present — a gift
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wax — to grow
  6. tube — the underground
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. court — of law
  9. court — of a king
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. bank — for money
  13. present — the time now
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. tube — a container
  16. court — for sport
  17. bank — of a river
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bank — for money
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — a tool
  24. plane — an aircraft

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