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: trunk · key · lie · season · pop · calf · pitcher · kick

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. key — in music
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. key — the most important part
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. pop — soda
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. season — in sport
  11. pop — music
  12. season — of the year
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. pop — to visit
  17. kick — in football
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. key — for a lock
  23. trunk — of a tree
  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