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: stem · last · present · bore · sharp · tube · squash · march

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. tube — a container
  3. march — the month
  4. squash — to crush
  5. present — the time now
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. present — a gift
  8. bore — to drill
  9. march — music
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. tube — the underground
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — finally
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. stem — to come from
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. last — final
  18. march — the month
  19. sharp — clever
  20. squash — the sport
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. bore — to tire
  24. tube — in a tire

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