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: bore · snap · rest · cue · wound · rule · march · fan

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. cue — a signal
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cue — a hint
  7. rule — a law
  8. rule — government
  9. rest — what's left
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. march — the month
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. march — the month
  15. cue — for pool
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bore — to tire
  19. rest — a break
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. snap — to click
  22. bore — to drill
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. march — 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