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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. club — a group
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. court — of law
  8. court — of a king
  9. content — the amount
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. court — for sport
  18. club — for dancing
  19. club — for golf
  20. capital — a city
  21. swing — to play on
  22. content — happy
  23. capital — money
  24. date — the fruit

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