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: tear · capital · calf · rash · fork · race · rush · arm

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  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. tear — from crying
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. rash — a series
  4. fork — in a road
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. capital — a city
  8. race — a contest
  9. tear — to rip
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. tear — from crying
  13. rash — hasty
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — money
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. race — the arms race
  21. rush — hurry
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. fork — a garden tool
  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