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: stick · coach · chair · last · mate · tear · calf · wind

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. tear — from crying
  5. mate — a partner
  6. tear — to rip
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. tear — from crying
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wind — moving air
  12. last — finally
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. mate — a friend
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. chair — a leader
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — final
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. wind — moving air

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