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: chest · fork · date · calf · can · kid · key · trunk

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. kid — child
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. can — a tin
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. key — the most important part
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. date — the fruit
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. can — to be able to
  12. chest — of your body
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. key — for a lock
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — in a road
  19. key — in music
  20. chest — of your body
  21. can — a tin
  22. chest — a box
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. trunk — of a car

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