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: staff · wake · mark · season · ball · file · can · pitcher

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. staff — employees
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. ball — a dance
  5. file — a line of people
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. mark — a trace
  9. season — in sport
  10. file — a document
  11. ball — a great time
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. file — a tool
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. wake — a trail
  16. season — of the year
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. staff — a stick
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. can — to be able to
  24. staff — employees

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