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: cabinet · lash · field · bore · tube · pass · rush · stick

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. bore — to tire
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. tube — a container
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to drill
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pass — a permit
  15. rush — hurry
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — a subject
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. field — for sport
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. pass — to succeed

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