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: wax · clip · suit · face · mark · bank · kick · ground

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. ground — crushed
  4. clip — a video
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bank — for money
  7. suit — to fit
  8. ground — a position
  9. mark — a grade
  10. face — to point toward
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — to grow
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. mark — a trace
  16. clip — to cut
  17. suit — clothes
  18. ground — the earth
  19. clip — for paper
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. kick — in football
  23. face — to confront
  24. suit — in cards

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