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: net · charge · rule · rest · tear · hand · pass · drill

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. drill — the tool
  3. rule — a law
  4. rest — what's left
  5. drill — army training
  6. pass — a permit
  7. hand — help
  8. net — after costs
  9. tear — from crying
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. charge — in control
  12. hand — in cards
  13. net — for catching
  14. tear — to rip
  15. drill — a practice
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. rule — government
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. rest — what's left
  20. charge — electricity
  21. tear — from crying
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. charge — a price
  24. net — in sport

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