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: vault · jam · band · fork · club · date · pound · roll

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. club — for dancing
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. roll — a cake
  11. pound — a weight
  12. band — a ring
  13. club — a group
  14. band — a music group
  15. date — the fruit
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. roll — a list
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. club — for golf
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. fork — in a road

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