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: jam · club · lean · pass · vault · net · chair · bass

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. bass — low music
  3. club — for golf
  4. net — in sport
  5. club — for dancing
  6. chair — a leader
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. net — for catching
  15. pass — a permit
  16. net — after costs
  17. bass — the fish
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. club — a group
  20. vault — a safe
  21. lean — to bend
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. lean — thin

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