homophones

NOUN

word pronounced the same as another, but differing in meaning

Synonyms

WEAK

homograph homonym

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Here are some common homophones and their meanings:

From Textbooks • Dec. 21, 2021

And I argue that even though he’s world-famous and globally acclaimed, he’s really underrated for the kind of sophisticated nuanced deployment of homophones, metonymy, simile, metaphor, braggadocio, allusion.

From Washington Post • Dec. 19, 2019

Are you good at phrases that incorporate complicated Mandarin homophones?

From The Guardian • May 15, 2019

Kay and Kaye, thirty and thirty-one, are not related or married: their last names happen to be homophones.

From The New Yorker • Mar. 4, 2019

This is a reckless assertion; it may be that among the languages unknown to me there are some that are as much hampered with homophones as we are.

From Society for Pure English, Tract 02 On English Homophones by Bridges, Robert Seymour