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: lash · kick · can · bass · pop · snap · band · staff

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  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. snap — to click
  2. kick — in football
  3. staff — employees
  4. band — a music group
  5. staff — employees
  6. can — a tin
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bass — low music
  11. pop — music
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. can — a tin
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bass — the fish
  16. staff — a stick
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. can — to be able to
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. band — a ring
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — to visit
  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