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: wake · ball · clip · object · lash · staff · key · season

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. object — an aim
  4. clip — to cut
  5. clip — for paper
  6. ball — a dance
  7. key — the most important part
  8. object — a thing
  9. staff — employees
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. object — to protest
  13. key — in music
  14. season — of the year
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. season — in sport
  17. staff — employees
  18. wake — a trail
  19. staff — a stick
  20. clip — a video
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. key — for a lock
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. season — to add flavour

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