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 · club · tube · stick · rush · land · bass · key

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. key — in music
  3. rush — hurry
  4. land — ground
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. club — a group
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. club — for golf
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. land — a country
  13. key — for a lock
  14. vault — a safe
  15. tube — a container
  16. key — the most important part
  17. land — to come down
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. club — for dancing
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. bass — the instrument

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