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: face · club · plane · lie · pop · ground · bank · kick

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. ground — a position
  3. pop — music
  4. face — to confront
  5. bank — for money
  6. kick — in football
  7. pop — soda
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — a group
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. lie — to recline
  12. ground — crushed
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. face — part of the head
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bank — of a river
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. club — for dancing
  21. ground — the earth
  22. pop — to visit
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. plane — a tool

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