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: rush · deal · bark · firm · swing · clip · tube · pound

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. swing — music
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. swing — in golf
  7. clip — to cut
  8. clip — a video
  9. firm — steady
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. rush — hurry
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. pound — a weight
  17. tube — a container
  18. bark — to shout
  19. clip — for paper
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. firm — decided
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. swing — to play on
  24. deal — a big deal

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