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: game · club · march · pitcher · pitch · fine · content · jam

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. game — a match
  3. march — the month
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. fine — all right
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. club — a group
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. pitch — completely
  14. club — for golf
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. march — the month
  17. fine — high quality
  18. content — happy
  19. club — for dancing
  20. game — wild animals
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. content — the amount
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. game — a kind of play

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