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: hand · fork · bear · jam · wax · ground · charge · bark

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. hand — in cards
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. charge — a price
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. hand — help
  14. charge — electricity
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. wax — to grow
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — crushed
  22. charge — in control
  23. ground — the earth
  24. bear — the animal

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