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: bat · degree · track · stem · mate · current · fork · root

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. root — of a word
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. degree — an amount
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. root — the cause
  7. current — happening now
  8. track — a song
  9. mate — a friend
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. degree — from a university
  12. current — of water
  13. bat — the animal
  14. fork — in a road
  15. track — a path
  16. root — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. mate — to breed
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. mate — a partner
  22. track — to keep track
  23. current — electric
  24. fork — a garden tool

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