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: tube · drill · court · current · track · capital · chip · date

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. track — a path
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. track — to keep track
  6. chip — to eat
  7. drill — a practice
  8. date — the fruit
  9. current — electric
  10. capital — a city
  11. court — of a king
  12. track — a song
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. drill — the tool
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. capital — money
  17. court — of law
  18. tube — the underground
  19. current — happening now
  20. tube — a container
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. drill — army training
  23. court — for sport
  24. current — of water

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