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 · staff · pop · stem · snap · squash · drill · rock

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. staff — employees
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. snap — to click
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. drill — army training
  8. squash — the sport
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. staff — a stick
  11. drill — the tool
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. rock — a stone
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. pop — to visit
  16. drill — a practice
  17. squash — to crush
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. pop — soda
  20. stem — to come from
  21. staff — employees
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. pop — music

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