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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. current — electric
  5. march — the month
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. rock — a stone
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. degree — from a university
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. degree — an amount
  12. march — the month
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. current — of water
  16. current — happening now
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. march — music
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. wake — a trail
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — to move gently

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