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: present · press · fine · arm · land · court · snap · stand

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. present — a gift
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. press — a publisher
  6. present — there
  7. press — newspapers
  8. land — to come down
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. fine — high quality
  11. present — the time now
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. fine — all right
  14. stand — to bear
  15. court — for sport
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. land — a country
  19. land — ground
  20. press — to push
  21. snap — to click
  22. court — of law
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. court — of a king

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