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: suit · prune · pop · cell · staff · foot · key · row

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. pop — to visit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. pop — music
  6. row — to paddle
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. key — for a lock
  9. staff — employees
  10. key — in music
  11. key — the most important part
  12. suit — clothes
  13. foot — a measure
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pop — soda
  16. cell — a phone
  17. suit — to fit
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. staff — a stick
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. staff — employees
  22. row — a line
  23. cell — in biology
  24. prune — the fruit

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