List of Homonyms Sentences with 100 Examples

Homonyms are words that either sound the same or are spelled the same but have different meanings. They are a fascinating and sometimes confusing part of English. Understanding homonyms helps improve your reading, writing, and speaking skills.

What Are Homonyms?

A homonym is a word with the same spelling or pronunciation as another word but a different meaning.

Examples:

• Bat: a flying mammal
• Bat: a piece of sports equipment

Types of Homonyms

Type	Description	Examples
Homophones	Sound the same, different spelling and meaning	to, too, two; write, right
Homographs	Spelled the same, different meaning and sometimes pronunciation	lead (metal), lead (to guide)
Homonyms	Same spelling and pronunciation, different meanings	bow (weapon), bow (bend)

100 Homonyms with Sentences

1. Can—Can

• Can you help me carry this? (to be able to)
• I bought a can of soda. (a metal container)

2. Wreak—Reek

• The storm will wreak havoc on the city. (cause damage)
• Where does that terrible reek come from? (smell)

3. Soul—Sole

• He poured his soul into his art. (spiritual part of a person)
• The sole of my shoe is worn out. (bottom part of a shoe)

4. Route—Root

• We took the scenic route through the mountains. (path)
• The tree’s root system is deep. (part of a plant)

5. Cent—Sent—Scent

• Can you give me a cent? (coin)
• I sent the email yesterday. (dispatched)
• I love the scent of fresh flowers. (smell)

6. Cell—Sell

• The cell division is fascinating. (biological unit)
• They decided to sell their car. (exchange for money)

7. Flat—Flat

• My tire is flat. (lacking air)
• They live in a flat near the park. (apartment)

8. Lie—Lye

• Don’t lie to your parents. (tell an untruth)
• Lye is used to make soap. (caustic substance)

9. Pray—Prey

• I will pray for your health. (to worship or ask for help)
• The lion stalked its prey. (animal hunted for food)

10. Need—Knead

• I need help with this task. (require)
• She needs to knead the dough. (work dough by pressing)

11. Isle – Aisle

• We sailed around the isle. (small island)
• We walked down the aisle at the wedding. (passageway in a building)

12. Foul – Fowl

• The foul smell from the garbage was unbearable. (disgusting)
• The farm has many fowl. (domestic birds)

13. Die – Dye

• The flower will die without water. (cease living)
• I will dye my hair blue. (color with dye)

14. Ate – Eight

• I ate pizza for lunch. (past tense of eat)
• She is eight years old. (number)

15. Allowed – Aloud

• I’m allowed to leave early today. (permitted)
• He spoke aloud during the meeting. (in a voice that can be heard)

16. Add – Ad

• Let’s add some sugar to the recipe. (combine)
• I saw an ad for a new phone. (advertisement)

17. Ant – Aunt

• The ant was carrying food to its nest. (insect)
• My aunt will visit us next week. (parent’s sister)

18. Ball – Bawl

• He kicked the ball to his teammate. (round object)
• The baby started to bawl loudly. (cry noisily)

19. Band – Banned

• The band played music all night. (musical group)
• That song was banned on the radio. (prohibited)

20. Berry – Bury

• She picked fresh berries from the garden. (fruit)
• They will bury the treasure in the backyard. (place underground)

21. Berth – Birth

• The ship docked at its assigned berth. (place for a ship)
• She gave birth to a healthy baby. (act of delivering a child)

22. Better – Bettor

• She looks better after resting. (improved in health or quality)
• The bettor placed a bet on the horse race. (person who bets)

23. Board – Bored

• The board meeting lasted two hours. (a flat, thin, rectangular piece)
• He was bored after sitting for so long. (feeling uninterested)

24. Boarder – Border

• We have a boarder staying in our house. (person renting a room)
• The border between two countries is heavily guarded. (boundary line)

25. Break – Brake

• She took a break during her studies. (rest)
• He applied the brake to stop the car. (device to slow down a vehicle)

26. Cache – Cash

• The treasure chest was filled with gold coins and cache. (hidden storage)
• She withdrew cash from the bank. (money)

27. Scents – Sense

• The scents in the bakery made me hungry. (smells)
• She had a strong sense of smell. (ability to perceive)

28. Chance – Chants

• There’s a good chance of rain tomorrow. (probability)
• The crowd began chanting for their team. (repeated rhythmic sounds)

29. Chile – Chili

• I visited Chile last summer. (country in South America)
• Do you like chili with your burritos? (spicy food)

30. Choir – Quire

• The choir performed at the concert. (group of singers)
• I need to buy a quire of paper. (24 or 25 sheets of paper)

31. Site – Sight

• The construction site is under inspection. (location)
• The sight of the sunset was breathtaking. (view)

32. Climb – Clime

• We will climb the mountain tomorrow. (ascend)
• The clime in the desert is extremely hot. (climate)

33. Facts – Fax

• The facts presented were undeniable. (pieces of information)
• I sent the fax to the company. (machine to send documents)

34. Finnish – Finish

• He is from Finland, a Finnish citizen. (from Finland)
• I need to finish my homework. (complete)

35. Gene – Jean

• The gene was passed down from my grandmother. (unit of heredity)
• He wore a pair of blue jeans. (denim trousers)

36. Gilt – Guilt

• She bought a gilt frame for the picture. (gold-plated)
• He felt deep guilt after the accident. (responsibility for wrongdoing)

37. Greece – Grease

• We are planning a trip to Greece. (country)
• The kitchen was covered in grease. (thick oily substance)

38. He’ll – Heal

• He’ll arrive by 3 PM. (he will)
• This medicine will help heal your wounds. (to become healthy again)

39. Higher – Hire

• The building is higher than the others. (taller)
• We plan to hire a new assistant. (employ)

40. Knead – Need

• Knead the dough until it’s smooth. (work dough)
• I need your help with this task. (require)

41. Knows – Nose

• She knows all the answers to the test. (understands)
• He had a cold and couldn’t breathe through his nose. (part of the face)

42. Leak – Leek

• There is a leak in the roof. (hole that lets liquid out)
• I added some leek to the soup. (vegetable)

43. Merry – Marry

• Merry Christmas to you and your family! (joyful)
• They will marry in the summer. (join in marriage)

44. Miner – Minor

• My uncle works as a miner in the mountains. (person who works in a mine)
• She is a minor and cannot sign the contract. (underage)

45. Muscle – Mussel

• After the workout, my muscles were sore. (fibers that contract to produce movement)
• We had mussels for dinner. (type of shellfish)

46. Pain – Pane

• He felt a sharp pain in his back. (hurt or discomfort)
• The window pane cracked in the storm. (flat sheet of glass)

47. Pair – Pear

• I bought a new pair of shoes. (two items)
• I ate a juicy pear for dessert. (fruit)

48. Praise – Prays

• The teacher gave praise for the student’s hard work. (admiration)
• She prays every night before bed. (worship)

49. Profit – Prophet

• The company’s profit doubled this year. (financial gain)
• The prophet foretold the future of the kingdom. (someone who predicts the future)

50. Rain – Reign

• Don’t forget your umbrella, it might rain today. (precipitation)
• The king’s reign lasted for many years. (rule or control)

51. Rough – Ruff

• The road was rough and bumpy. (uneven)
• The dog’s ruff was soft and fluffy. (fur around the neck)

52. Seen (past part of see) – Scene

• I have seen that movie before. (observed)
• The scene in the movie was dramatic. (setting or part of a story)

53. Seas – Seize

• The seas were rough during the storm. (large bodies of saltwater)
• They plan to seize the opportunity to travel. (take hold of)

54. Sew – So

• I need to sew the button back on my shirt. (to stitch)
• I was tired, so I took a nap. (conjunction)

55. Sour – Sore

• The milk has turned sour. (tasting acidic)
• My throat is sore from the cold. (painful)

56. Solace – Soulless

• Her words gave me solace during a difficult time. (comfort)
• He seemed like a soulless person. (without feeling or emotion)

57. Steal – Steel

• Thieves tried to steal the painting. (take unlawfully)
• The building was constructed with steel beams. (metal)

58. Thyme – Time

• I used thyme to season the chicken. (herb)
• Time flies when you’re having fun. (measurement of seconds, minutes, etc.)

59. Vary – Very

• The prices can vary depending on the store. (change)
• He is very kind to everyone. (extremely)

60. Wore (past of wear) – War

• She wore a red dress to the party. (put on clothes)
• The country has been involved in a war for years. (conflict)

61. We’ll – Wheel

• We’ll meet at the park later. (we will)
• The car’s wheel got stuck in the mud. (circular part for movement)

62. Your – You’re

• Where’s your coat? (possessive form of you)
• You’re the best singer I know! (you are)

63. Weak – Week

• I felt weak after the long workout. (not strong)
• The meeting will be held next week. (seven days)

64. Sun – Son

• The sun was shining brightly. (star at the center of our solar system)
• My son will start school next year. (male child)

65. See – Sea

• I can’t wait to see the new movie. (look at)
• The sea is calm today. (large body of saltwater)

66. Meet – Meat

• It was nice to meet you at the conference. (encounter)
• We had steak for dinner, which is my favorite meat. (animal flesh)

67. Fort – Fought

• The soldiers defended the fort bravely. (stronghold)
• They fought for their rights. (past tense of fight)

68. Groan – Grown

• He gave a loud groan after hearing the bad news. (sound of pain or discomfort)
• She has grown so much since the last time I saw her. (increased in size)

69. Holy – Wholly

• This is a holy place for pilgrims. (sacred)
• He is wholly responsible for the mistake. (entirely)

70. Hour – Our

• I waited for an hour at the station. (60 minutes)
• Our house is near the lake. (belonging to us)

71. I – Eye

• I am going to the store. (pronoun)
• She has beautiful blue eyes. (organs for sight)

72. Know – No

• I know the answer to the question. (to be aware of)
• No, I don’t have any extra tickets. (negation)

73. Links – Lynx

• I clicked on the links in the email. (hyperlinks)
• The lynx is a wild cat native to North America. (animal)

74. Mail – Male

• The mail carrier delivered the letters. (post)
• He is a male member of the team. (gender)

75. Right – Write

• You made the right choice. (correct)
• I need to write a letter to my friend. (form letters or words)

76. Than – Then

• She is taller than her brother. (comparison)
• I will go shopping, then meet you at the café. (afterward)

77. Where – Wear

• Where is my phone? (location)
• What will you wear to the party? (clothing)

78. Red – Read

• The red car is parked outside. (color)
• I read the book yesterday. (past tense of read)

79. Too – Two

• I love you too. (also)
• I have two dogs. (number)

80. Air – Heir

• The air smells fresh in the morning. (gaseous substance)
• He is the heir to the throne. (person who inherits)

81. Beach – Beech

• We went to the beach for the holiday. (sandy shore)
• The beech tree in our yard is beautiful. (type of tree)

82. Bee – Be

• The bee landed on the flower. (insect)
• You must be careful. (exist)

83. Buy – By – Bye

• I need to buy some milk. (purchase)
• She was sitting by the window. (next to)
• Bye, see you later! (farewell)

84. Way – Weight

• There’s no easy way to do this. (method)
• She needs to lose weight for her health. (mass)

85. Their – There

• Their house is across the street. (possessive form of they)
• There are five apples on the table. (location)

86. Lessen – Lesson

• We need to lessen the amount of sugar in our diet. (reduce)
• The lesson on history was fascinating. (education)

87. Grate – Great

• Please grate the cheese for the pizza. (shred)
• It was a great movie! (impressive)

88. Gait – Gate

• Her gait was elegant as she walked. (manner of walking)
• The gate was locked after dark. (barrier)

89. Flower – Flour

• The flower bloomed in spring. (plant)
• She added flour to the dough. (baking ingredient)

90. Fool – Full

• He played the fool during the meeting. (silly person)
• The glass is full of water. (containing to capacity)

91. Find – Fined

• I will find the book you asked for. (locate)
• She was fined for parking in a no-parking zone. (penalized)

92. Feat – Feet

• That was an amazing feat of strength! (accomplishment)
• My feet hurt after walking all day. (lower extremities)

93. Cheap – Cheep

• That jacket was really cheap. (low-priced)
• The chicks started to cheep early in the morning. (make a high-pitched sound)

94. Cell – Sell

• The cell division process is fascinating. (biological unit)
• They decided to sell their car. (exchange for money)

95. One – Won

• One day, I will visit Paris. (single)
• She won the race yesterday. (past tense of win)

96. Patience – Patients

• She has a lot of patience when teaching children. (tolerance)
• The doctor sees many patients every day. (people receiving treatment)

97. Practice – Practise

• You should go to practice every day to improve. (repeated exercise)
• I will practise my guitar skills later. (train or rehearse)

98. Ring – Wring

• I bought a new ring for my wife. (piece of jewelry)
• Please don’t wring out the towel too hard. (twist to remove water)

99. Sale – Sail

• The store is having a sale this weekend. (transaction)
• We will sail around the island tomorrow. (travel by boat)

100. Stile – Style

• The stile was easy to climb over. (a step or ladder)
• Her fashion style is very unique. (way of dressing

Important Tips for Using Homonyms

• Context is Key: Use surrounding words to determine which meaning fits.
• Check Spelling: Especially for homophones, spelling clarifies meaning.
• Listen for Pronunciation: In speech, pronunciation helps identify the word.
• Practice Regularly: Exposure through reading, writing, and listening improves your skill.

Common Mistakes

• Incorrect Spelling:

Incorrect: “The peace of the forest was calming.”
Correct: “The piece of the forest was calming.”

• Wrong Meaning Usage:

Incorrect: “I couldn’t bare to look.”
Correct: “I couldn’t bear to look.”

Conclusion:

Homonyms enrich English but can be confusing. Learning their different meanings and usage improves communication and reduces errors. Pay attention to context, spelling, and pronunciation to master homonyms.

FAQs about Homonyms