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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. chip — for betting
  3. court — for sport
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. march — the month
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. track — a path
  11. rock — music
  12. track — to keep track
  13. rock — a stone
  14. fine — all right
  15. court — of a king
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. march — the month
  18. fine — high quality
  19. track — a song
  20. chip — to eat
  21. court — of law
  22. date — the fruit
  23. tube — a container
  24. march — music

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