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: bark · rush · swing · kid · bank · stand · last · pass

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. last — final
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bank — for money
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bank — of a river
  14. kid — to tease
  15. pass — a permit
  16. last — finally
  17. kid — child
  18. swing — music
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. last — to go on
  22. stand — to bear
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. bank — for money

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