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: sharp · current · degree · march · root · wind · pass · press

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. current — of water
  4. current — happening now
  5. march — the month
  6. root — of a word
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. sharp — clever
  10. root — of a plant
  11. march — the month
  12. degree — an amount
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. root — the cause
  15. degree — from a university
  16. press — a publisher
  17. wind — moving air
  18. march — music
  19. degree — temperature
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. current — electric
  22. press — to push
  23. press — newspapers
  24. pass — to succeed

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