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 120 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 · snap · land · court · arm · pitch · firm · cue

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. present — there
  4. court — of a king
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. present — a gift
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of law
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. firm — steady
  12. cue — for pool
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. land — to come down
  15. firm — a company
  16. land — ground
  17. snap — to click
  18. firm — decided
  19. cue — a signal
  20. present — the time now
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. pitch — completely
  24. cue — a hint

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