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: bowl · pound · root · saw · key · shower · sharp · bore

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pound — a weight
  4. shower — to wash
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to drill
  8. shower — rain
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. key — in music
  11. root — of a word
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. key — for a lock
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. bore — to tire
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. root — of a plant
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. root — the cause
  24. key — the most important part

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