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: kick · chair · coach · date · stick · stand

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. chair — a leader
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stand — to bear
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. date — the fruit
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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