Homonyms

Homonyms are those words that have the same spelling or pronunciation but completely different meanings and functions. Homonyms, therefore, can be said to include both homophones and homographs.

List of Homonyms with Their Functions, Meanings and Examples

Homonyms with the Same Spelling and/or Pronunciation
Homonym	Sentence Example
Bear	They saw a black bear.
	You will have to bear the pain.
Right	You are right.
	Meena sat on the right.
	Everything that you told us was right.
Tear	She had tears in her eyes at the end of the movie.
	The little girl will tear up everything she gets.
Match	Do you know which team won the match?
	I used a match to light up the stove.
	My mom was looking for a lining material that matches the pastel-coloured saree she bought recently.
Ring	My father bought me a diamond ring
	I used a ring to make a dreamcatcher.
	Manu will ring you in some time.
	Did you hear the bell ring?
Kind	We are one of a kind.
	Beena is very kind.
Lie	I think she is telling a lie.
	My mom does not lie.
	He is lying on the bed.
Bright	The sun is very bright today.
	Aarathi is a bright student.
Address	Sherly gave her address so that we would not lose our way.
	Today, Susan will be addressing the first-year students.
Watch	I bought a new watch.
	Can you please watch the baby for an hour?

Table 2

Homonyms with Different Spellings but the Same Pronunciation
Homonym	Sentence Example
Steal / Steel	You have to be careful while travelling, otherwise, someone will steal your belongings.
	We have a door made of steel.
I / Eye	I am a content writer.
	My eye is paining too badly.
Root / Route	I think this tree’s roots have gone too deep into the ground.
	I know this route really well.
Blue / Blew	She has a pretty blue frock.
	Santhosh blew air into the balloons.
Pair / Pear	I bought a new pair of shoes. The teacher paired me with my best friend.
	Do you like pears?
Threw / Through	The little boy threw the ball over the wall.
	We will be going through the newly-built tunnel.
Weight / Wait	What is the weight of that cupboard?
	Can you please wait till we arrive?
Idol / Idle	My father is my idol.
	Danny has been sitting idle from the time he woke up.
Paws / Pause	My dog puts his paws on my lap every time I am sad as if to console me.
	We have been practising for so long. Can we pause for a while?
Choose / Chews	What would you choose?
	My sister chews her food well because she cannot simply swallow her food.