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: club · bore · tube · stick · rush · date · fall · last

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. last — finally
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bore — to drill
  7. club — for dancing
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. last — to go on
  11. bore — to tire
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — a container
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. club — a group
  16. rush — hurry
  17. fall — the season
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. club — for golf
  20. date — the fruit
  21. fall — to drop
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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