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: bear · chair · rule · cue · bore · calf · snap · rock

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bore — to tire
  4. chair — a leader
  5. rule — a law
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. rock — music
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. rock — a stone
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bore — to drill
  13. cue — a signal
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rule — government
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bear — the animal

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