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: bore · mate · degree · calf · key · chest · trunk · wind

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a friend
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bore — to drill
  7. wind — moving air
  8. chest — of your body
  9. key — in music
  10. chest — of your body
  11. key — the most important part
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. chest — a box
  15. degree — temperature
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — from a university
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wind — moving air
  22. key — for a lock
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bore — to tire

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