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 120 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: fan · net · charge · coach · wake · snap · rule · staff

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. charge — electricity
  4. wake — a trail
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rule — a law
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. net — after costs
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. snap — to click
  11. net — for catching
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. charge — a price
  16. net — in sport
  17. staff — a stick
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. charge — in control
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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