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: mark · wake · last · pitch · pitcher · pass · key · staff

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. staff — employees
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. pass — a permit
  7. key — the most important part
  8. last — to go on
  9. pitch — completely
  10. mark — a grade
  11. staff — a stick
  12. mark — a trace
  13. key — in music
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. staff — employees
  18. key — for a lock
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. wake — a trail
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. last — finally
  23. last — final
  24. pitch — a sports field

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