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: jam · squash · wind · coach · prune · content · lean · pass

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. squash — to crush
  5. lean — to bend
  6. prune — to trim
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wind — moving air
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. squash — the sport
  11. wind — moving air
  12. lean — thin
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. content — happy
  20. prune — to trim
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. pass — a permit
  24. coach — a trainer

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