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: nail · rule · chair · rash · band · stem · charge · net

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stem — to come from
  5. net — after costs
  6. rash — hasty
  7. band — a music group
  8. net — in sport
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. charge — in control
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. charge — a price
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. rash — a series
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. rule — government
  21. chair — a leader
  22. net — for catching
  23. band — a ring
  24. rule — a law

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