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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
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Word bank
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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: cue · trunk · fan · bowl · rest · bass · sharp · cold

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. rest — a break
  3. bass — the fish
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. rest — what's left
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — a hint
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — clever
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. cold — an illness
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. cold — not warm
  24. bass — low music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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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