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: lean · object · toast · coach · land · squash · dip · rock

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. lean — to bend
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. rock — a stone
  9. land — to come down
  10. object — a thing
  11. land — ground
  12. squash — to crush
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. lean — thin
  15. object — to protest
  16. dip — to sink
  17. rock — music
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. object — an aim
  20. land — a country
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — the sport
  24. toast — bread

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