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: craft · race · ball · toast · field · bore · bay · row

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. toast — bread
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. field — a subject
  7. field — farmland
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bore — to drill
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. craft — a skill
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. row — a line
  18. field — for sport
  19. bore — to tire
  20. row — to paddle
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. race — a contest
  23. ball — a great time
  24. race — humankind

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