Homonyms are two or more words that contain the same sound or spelling but vary in meaning.
Homonyms, Homophones, and Homographs
Here is a listing of some the very common homonyms, homophones, and homographs. The first column includes homonyms in alphabetical order, and the second and third columns list the subsequent homonym, homophone, or homograph as appropriate.
| accept – take in | except – other than | |
| ad – advertisement | add – join, combine | |
| advice – guidance | advise – recommend | |
| aid – assist, assistance | aide – one who gives assistance | |
| ail – to suffer poor health | ale – a beverage | |
| air – atmosphere | ere – before | heir – one who inherits property |
| aisle – a passage | I’ll – contraction of I will | isle – island |
| allusion – an indirect reference | illusion – false appearance | |
| altar – table in a church | alter – to change | |
| ate – past tense of eat | eight – the number 8 | |
| bail – to clear water | bail – release of a prisoner | bale – a large bundle |
| band – a ring, something that binds | band – a group | banned – prohibited |
| bare – uncovered | bear – large animal | bear – support, yield |
| bases – starting points | bases – four stations on a baseball field | basis – a basic principle |
| beat – to strike, overcome | beat – exhausted | beet – a plant with red roots |
| blew – past tense of blow | blue – the color | |
| bread – baked food item | bred – produced | |
| buy – purchase | by – near, through | bye – goodbye |
| capital – punishable by death | capital – chief city | capitol – building where legislature meets |
| ceiling – top of a room | sealing – setting, fastening | |
| cell – compartment | sell – vend | |
| cent – penny coin | scent – an odor | sent – past tense of send |
| cereal – breakfast food | serial – sequential | |
| chews – gnaws with teeth | choose – to select | |
| Chile- country in South America | chili – bean stew | chilly – frosty |
| chord – musical tone | cord – rope | |
| cite – quote | site – location | sight – view |
| close – opposite of open | clothes – clothing | |
| coarse – rough | course – path, procedure | |
| complement – enhance; go together | compliment – praise | |
| conduct – behavior | conduct – to lead | |
| council – committee | counsel – guidance | |
| creak – squeak | creek – stream of water | |
| crews – gangs | cruise – ride on a boat | |
| days – plural of day | daze – stun | |
| dear – darling | deer- woodland animal | |
| desert – to abandon | desert – dry land | dessert – after-dinner treat |
| dew – morning mist | do – operate | due – payable |
| die – cease to exist | dye – color | |
| discreet – tactful | discrete – distinct | |
| doe – female deer | dough – uncooked bread | |
| dual – double | duel – battle | |
| elicit – draw out | illicit – illegal | |
| eminent – distinguished | imminent – soon | |
| ewe – female sheep | you – second-person personal pronoun | |
| eye – sight organ | I – first-person personal pronoun | |
| facts – true things | fax – a document transmitted via telephone | |
| fair – equal | fare – price | |
| fairy – elflike creature with wings | ferry – boat | |
| faze – impact | phase – stage | |
| feat – achievement | feet – plural of foot | |
| find – to discover | fined – charged a penalty | |
| fir – type of tree | fur – animal hair | |
| flea – small biting insect | flee – run | |
| flew – did fly | flu – illness | |
| flour – powdery, ground up grain | flower – blooming plant | |
| for – on behalf of | fore – front | four – three plus one |
| forth – onward | fourth – number four | |
| foreword – introduction to a book | forward – advancing | |
| gene – a chromosome | jean – fabric; pants | |
| gorilla – big ape | guerrilla – warrior | |
| grease – fat | Greece – country in Europe | |
| groan – moan | grown – form of grow | |
| hair – head covering | hare – rabbit-like animal | |
| hall – passageway | haul – tow | |
| halve – cut in two parts | have – possess | |
| hay – animal food | hey – interjection to get attention | |
| heal – mend | heel – back of foot | |
| hear – to listen | here – at this place | |
| hi – hello | high – up far | |
| hoarse – croaky | horse – riding animal | |
| hole – opening | whole – entire | |
| holey – full of holes | holy – divine | wholly – entirely |
| hoarse – rough voice | horse – animal | |
| hour – sixty minutes | our – belonging to us | |
| knead – massage | need – desire | |
| knew – did know | new – not old | |
| knight – feudal horseman | night – evening | |
| knot – tied rope | not – negative | |
| know – have knowledge | no – opposite of yes | |
| lead – metal | led – was the leader | |
| leased – past tense of lease | least – the minimum | |
| lessen – make smaller | lesson – class | |
| loan – lend | lone – solitary | |
| made – did make | maid – servant | |
| mail – postage | male – opposite of female | |
| material – matter | materiel – supplies for an organization, particularly the military | |
| marry – to wed | merry – very happy | |
| meat – animal protein | meet – encounter | |
| mince – to chop finely | mints – type of sweet | |
| morning – a.m. | mourning – remember the dead | |
| none – not any | nun – woman who takes special vows | |
| oar – boat paddle | or – otherwise | ore – mineral |
| oh – expression of surprise or awe | owe – be obligated | |
| one – single | won – did win | |
| overdo – do too much | overdue – past due date | |
| pail – bucket | pale – not bright | |
| pain – hurt | pane – window glass | |
| peace – calm | piece – segment | |
| peak – highest point | peek – glance | |
| patience – being willing to wait | patients – person treated in a hospital or by a doctor | |
| pear – a type of fruit | pair – two (usually matching) | |
| plain – ordinary | plane – flight machine plane; flat surface | |
| pole – post | poll – survey | |
| poor – not rich | pour – make flow | |
| pray – implore God | prey – quarry | |
| principal – most important | principle – belief | |
| rain – water from sky | rein – bridle | |
| rap – tap | wrap – drape around | |
| read – past tense of the verb to read | red – color | |
| real – factual | reel – roll | |
| right – correct; not left | write – scribble | |
| ring – encircle | wring – squeeze | |
| road – street | rode – past tense of ride | |
| role – function | roll – rotate | |
| rose – flower | rows – lines | |
| sail – move by wind power | sale – bargain price | |
| scene – landscape | seen – viewed | |
| sea – ocean segment | see – observe with eyes | |
| seam – joining edge | seem – appear | |
| sew – connect with thread | so – as a result | sow – plant |
| soar – ascend | sore – hurt place | |
| sole – single | soul – essence | |
| son – male child | sun – the star that lights the solar system | |
| some – a few | sum – amount | |
| stair – step | stare – to look at steadily | |
| steal – swipe | steel – alloy | |
| suite – large room in a hotel | sweet – the opposite of sour | |
| tail – animal’s appendage | tale – story | |
| their – belonging to them | there – at that place | they’re – they are |
| threw – past tense of throw | through – passing from one place to another | |
| to – toward | too – also | two – the number 2 |
| toe – foot appendage | tow – pull along | |
| vary – differ | very – wail – howl | |
| wail – howl | whale – huge sea mammal | |
| waist – area below ribs | waste – squander | |
| wait – kill time | weight – measurable load | |
| war – battle | wore – did wear | |
| warn – caution | worn – used | |
| way – path | weigh – measure mass | |
| we – us | wee – tiny | |
| weak – not strong | week – seven days | |
| wear – to don attire | where – question word | |
| weather – climate | whether – if | |
| which – that | witch – sorcerer | |
| wood – material coming from trees | would – conditional auxiliary | |
| your – belonging to you | you’re – you are |
