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 120 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: hand · foot · object · pop · prune · fan · key · kid

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. hand — help
  3. hand — in cards
  4. pop — soda
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. kid — child
  7. kid — to tease
  8. object — to protest
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. prune — to trim
  11. object — a thing
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pop — music
  15. key — for a lock
  16. pop — to visit
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. foot — a measure
  21. key — in music
  22. prune — to trim
  23. object — an aim
  24. key — the most important part

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