Asking Minds

Are you aware of the term homophones? Well, that’s what this blog is about, I mean words with the same pronunciation but different meanings. This blog contains 50 Homophones with Meanings and Examples.

If you are in the process of improving your English, this little guide about homophones will surely help you. Even if your level of English is already fine enough, do give it a quick read. You may find a couple of words that would be new to you.

Before we begin with this list of Homophones with meanings, let’s go through an example.

You have four hours for solving the query. In this example, four and for are the words with the same pronunciation but different meanings and spellings. In your daily life, you might have come across many words like these. Sometimes, it may create ambiguity (Oh no! which word should I use here?).

So, let’s jump into detail and learn about these 50 homophones with meanings and examples –

1. Allowed (verb) or Aloud (adverb) –

• Allowed means permitted or given permission to do something.
  Example – The teacher allowed the students to use their calculators during the math test.
• Aloud means audibly or in a way that can be heard.
  Example – She read the poem aloud to the class, so everyone could hear the beautiful words.

2. Ate (verb) or Eight(noun) –

• Ate is the past form of ‘eat’.
  Example – I ate a large-size burger.
• Eight is a number that comes after seven and before nine.
  Example – Today, I woke up at eight o’clock.

There is a very popular joke, or you can say riddle, you might have heard in your childhood i.e.
Q: Why was 6 afraid of 7?

A: Because 7 ate 9. Actually, ate and 8 are pronounced as same. (oh, come on, it’s not that bad)

3. Air (noun) or Heir (noun) –

• Air is the invisible gaseous substance surrounding the earth, a mixture mainly of oxygen and nitrogen. It is also used to express (an opinion or grievance) publicly.
  Example – The Game of Thrones (GOT) show was first aired in 2011.
• A person entitled to the property or rank of another after death. It is also called as Successor or inheritor.
  Example – In GOT, who is the real heir to the throne?

4. Board (noun) or Bored (adjective) –

• A board is a flat piece of wood.
  Example – Art teacher is drawing a beautiful portrait on the board.
• Bored means lacking interest or engagement. If you are bored then it means you are not interested at all.
  Example – She got bored during the history lecture.

5. Buy (verb) or By (preposition) or Bye (exclamation) –

• Buy means to purchase something in exchange for payment.
  Example – I need to buy a birthday present for my beloved sister.
• By means identifying who performed an action.
  Example – The world-famous open-source software Linux is created by Linus Torvalds.
• Bye defines an informal way of saying ‘goodbye’.
  Example – Okay, dear. I need to go now. See you soon. Bye.

6. Brake (noun, verb) or Break (noun, verb) –

• A brake is a device for slowing or stopping a moving vehicle, typically by applying pressure to the wheels, such as brake in the car and other vehicles.
  Example – He applied the brakes to stop the car.
• This break has a different meaning. As a noun, it means separate into pieces and as a verb, an interruption of continuity.
  Example – You should take uniform breaks to refresh your mind and reset your attention.

7. Cell (noun) or Sell (verb) –

• A cell is a small room in which a prisoner is locked up. A cell is also considered as the smallest structural and functional unit of an organism.
  Example – Breaking a cell is difficult for almost every prisoner.
•  Sell means to exchange a product or service for money.
  Example – I am thinking to sell my flat for the better deal.

8. Chilli (noun) or Chilly (adjective) –

• Chilli is a small spicy pepper or pod of a variety of capsicum used in cooking. It is also called as chilli pepper.
  Example – I ordered the Mexican Hot Pizza, but couldn’t eat the chilli on top!
• On the other hand, chilly means feeling cold.
  Example – It’s a little chilly outside, don’t forget to wear your coat.

9. Deer (noun) or Dear (noun, adjective) –

• Deer is a hoofed grazing animal, with branched bony antlers that are shed annually and typically borne only by the male.
  Example – Animals like Deer were an important source of food for early humans.
• Dear is used for the beloved person.
  Example – Hey dear, are you okay now?

10. Dew (noun) or Due (adjective, noun) –

• Dew is tiny drops of water that form on the ground and other surfaces outside during the night when atmospheric vapor condenses.
  Example – In the early morning, the grass was wet with dew.
• In terms of the noun, due means what is owed (especially money) to one. In terms of adjective, expected to happen, arrive, etc. at a particular time.
  Example – When is the first payment due?

11. Eye (noun) or I (pronoun) –

• An eye is the part of our body that we use for seeing.
  Example – She has beautiful eyes.
• I is used as the subject of a verb to refer to the person speaking or writing.
  Example – I am pretty sure that you are already aware of this word. (gotcha)

 12. Flour (noun) or Flower (noun) –

• Flour is a powder obtained by grinding grain, typically wheat, and used to make bread, cakes, and pastry.
  Example – Thicken the sauce by adding a little flour.
• The flower is the part of a plant that is often brightly colored and has a pleasant smell.
  Example – Flower always brings a smile on your face and refreshes your mood.

13. For (preposition) or Four (noun) –

• For means, in support of or in favor of (a person or policy).
  Example – Today we brought a new blog for you with something new to learn.
• Four is the number after three and before five.
  Example – Four is my lucky number.

14. Grate (verb) or Great (adjective) –

• Grate means to rub food against a grater in order to cut it into a lot of small pieces.
  Example – Add the grated carrots to the salad.
• Great means large in amount, size, or degree.
  Example – China has the Great Wall of China. (uh-huh)

15. Hear (verb) or Here (adverb) –

• Hear means to perceive with the ear, the sound made by someone or something.
  Example – I am unable to hear your voice, can you please speak aloud?
• Here, indicates the place where you are at any moment.
  Example – Welcome guys, here you will find the appropriate content for learning new homophones.

16. Hole (noun) or Whole (adjective) –

• The hole is a gap or hollow place in a solid body or surface.
  Example – He had a hole in his sock.
• Whole means entire; All of.
  Example – I read the whole book in one day.

17. Hour (noun) or Our (determiner) –

• A period of time equal to 60 minutes.
  Example – You should positively spend at least an hour daily for reading.
• Our means belonging to us.
  Example – Our aim should be crystal clear before we start our move towards it.

18. Him (pronoun) or Hymn (noun) –

• Him is usually used as the object of a verb or preposition, to refer to a man, boy, or male animal that has just been mentioned or is just about to be mentioned.
  Example – Don’t be judgmental for any person unless and until you know him.
• The hymn is a religious song or poem to praise a god.
  Example – The church congregation stood up to sing a hymn.

19. It’s (contraction) or Its (determiner) –

• It’s is the short form of it is.
  Example – It’s not my fault. It’s yours!
• Its mean belonging to or relating to something that has already been mentioned.
  Example – The Company increased its profits.

20. Know (verb) or No (determiner) –

• Know means to have knowledge or understanding about something.
  Example – Read the complete blog to know.
• No indicates a negation or something that’s not true.
  Example – Now, there’s no chance for the next meeting.

21. Knight (noun) or Night (noun) –

• A knight is a man who served his sovereign or lord as a mounted soldier in armor.
  Example – The princess was rescued by a handsome knight.
• The night is the period of time when it’s dark and most people sleep.
  Example – Night time is mostly preferred for distant traveling.

22. Leek (noun) or Leak (noun, verb) –

• Leek is a long, white vegetable with green leaves on top that tastes and smells like an onion.
  Example – Wales is famous for its rainy weather and its giant leeks!
• Leak means something is escaping (liquid or gas) from a hole or crack in a pipe or container.
  Example – One of the employees was responsible for the leak.

23. Sac (noun) or Sack (noun) –

• Sac is a hollow, flexible structure resembling a bag or pouch. A cavity within an organism, enclosed by a membrane and containing air, liquid, or solid structures.
  Example – A fountain pen with an ink sac.
• The sack is a large bag made of a strong material such as hessian, thick paper, or plastic, used for storing and carrying goods. It is also called a bag.
  Example – Ayushi uses a paper sack to store her groceries.

24. Mail (noun) or Male (adjective, noun) –

• Mail means letters and parcels which are sent by post. An email also comes from this word.
  Example – Till date, I did not receive any mail from her. Please tell her to send it again.
• It used to refer to men or boys, or the sex that fertilizes eggs.
  Example – She is going out with her male friend.

25. Marry (verb) or Merry (adjective) – 

• Marry means to become the legally accepted husband or wife of someone in an official or religious ceremony.
  Example – Men tend to marry later than women.
• Merry means to be Cheerful and lively.
  Example – Wish you a Merry Christmas.

26. Meat (noun) or Meet (verb) –

• Meat is the edible flesh from an animal.
  Example – Vegetarians don’t eat meat.
• Meet means when you are introduced to a person for the first time. It can also refer to later meetings.
  Example – Hey guys! let’s meet today.

27. One (noun) or Won (verb) –

• One is the number which comes after zero and before two.
  Example – In my heart, there’s only room for one. (aww)
• Won is the simple past and past participle form of the verb win.
  Example – Albert won $1000 on the drawn lottery.

28. Plain (adjective, noun) or Plane (noun) –

• Plain means not decorated or elaborate; simple or basic in character.
  Example – It’s good to put donations in a plain envelope.
• A plane is the synonym of Aeroplane.
  Example – Our plane is scheduled to depart at 8:45.

29. Peace (noun) or Piece (noun) –

• Peace means freedom from war and violence, especially when people live and work together happily without disagreements.
  Example – Lord Buddha is the symbol of peace.
• A piece is a part of something.
  Example – He cut the cake into eight equal pieces.

30. Right (adjective) or Write (verb) –

• Right means correct and it also indicates the direction.
  Example – You are going on the right track, keep it up.
• Write means to make marks that represent letters, words, or numbers on a surface, such as paper or a computer screen, using a pen, pencil, or keyboard, or to use this method to record thoughts, facts, or messages.
  Example – I was too tired to write up my assignments.

31. Red (adjective) or Read (verb) –

• Red is the color, which you can find at the end of the spectrum.
  Example – Red is the color of my blood. (wow)
• Read means to look at words or symbols and understand what they mean.
  Example – How many novels have you read?

32. Reel (noun) or Real (adjective) –

• A reel is round, a wheel-shaped object on which sewing thread, fishing wire, film, etc., can be rolled, or the amount of thread, etc. stored on one of these.
  Example – The alcohol made my head reel.
• Real means actually existing as a thing or occurring in fact; not imagined or supposed.
  Example – We need more real-life heroes than reel-life heroes.

33. Sight (noun) or Site (noun) or Cite (verb)–

• Sight is the ability to see.
  Example – The old lady has lost her sight.
• A site is a place where something is, was, or will be built, or where something happened, is happening, or will happen. Nowadays, the most common use of this word is for the website.
  Example – Armed force is posted around the restricted site.
• Cite is a verb that means to quote or refer to a source of information, such as a book, article, or person, to support an argument or statement.
  Example – Please be sure to cite any sources you used.

34. Serial (noun, adjective) or Cereal (noun) –

• Serial is a story or programme delivered in parts, taking place in series.
  Example – The serial killer loved watching crime serials on TV.
• Cereal is a grain used for food, for example, wheat, maize, or rye.
  Example – My favorite cereal is cornflakes.

35. So (adverb) or Sew (verb) –

• So is used to indicate extent, degree, or manner, often used to express agreement or to introduce a consequence.
  Example – I am so excited about the upcoming vacation.
• Sew means to join or attach things together by stitching with a needle and thread.
  Example – She learned to sew her own clothes.

36. Steal (verb) or Steel (noun) –

• Steal means to take (illegally) without permission.
  Example – Once, a classmate tried to steal my pen.
• A hard, strong grey or a bluish-grey alloy of iron with carbon and usually other elements, used as a structural and fabricating material.
  Example – Because they were made of iron rather than blue steel, they quickly rusted out.

37. Sale (noun) or Sail (verb) –

• A sale is an act of exchanging something for money. Sometimes, it means cheap price.
  Example – I bought this jacket in the New Year sale.
• When a boat or a ship sails, it travels on the water.
  Example – This ship sails to India.

38. Stare (verb) or Stair (noun) –

• Stare means to look for a long time with the eyes wide open, especially when surprised, frightened, or thinking.
  Example – Don’t stare at people unnecessarily.

• The stair is a set of steps leading from one floor of a building to another, typically inside the building.
  Example – She walked around the ground level looking for the stairs that led to the second floor.

39. Sweet (noun, adjective) or Suite (noun) –

• Sweet means having the pleasant taste characteristic of sugar or honey.
  Example – Sweet people and delicious food is the need of today’s generation.
• The suite is a set of rooms designated for one person’s or family’s use or for a particular purpose.
  Example – The journalist interviewed David Beckham in the London hotel suite.

40. Sea (noun) or See (verb) –

• Sea contains the salty water that covers a large part of the surface of the earth, or a large area of salty water, smaller than an ocean, that is partly or completely surrounded by land.
  Example – I could hear the sound of the sea.
• See is an act of perceiving with the eyes.
  Example – We see things differently.

41. Tale (noun) or Tail (noun) –

• Tale is a fictitious or true narrative or story, especially one that is imaginatively recounted. A story, short story, narrative.
  Example – Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves is one of the most popular Arabian tales.
• The tail is the hindmost part of an animal, especially when prolonged beyond the rest of the body. Animals tail is a part of its body that extends from its posterior.
  Example – The dog wagged its tail excitedly.

42. Their (pronoun) or There (adverb) or They’re (contraction) –

• Their means of or belonging to them.
  Example – Never judge others by their looks.
• There means (to, at, or in) that place. You might know the word ‘here’. It is actually the opposite of that.
  Example – By the time I got back, there was no food left.
• They’re is a contraction of they are.
  Example – They’re going to the movies this evening.

43. To (preposition) or Too (adverb) or Two (noun) –

• To expresses motion in the direction of (a particular location).
  Example – Hey Riya, would you like to watch Jurrasic World?
• Too means also, or it indicates that there is more of something than necessary (and it’s usually a problem).
  Example – Oh, really? I like her too. Damn!
• Two is the number which comes after one and before three.
  Example – Most homophone sets have two words, on the contrary, very few have three or four.

44. Thyme (noun) or Time (noun) –

• Thyme is the type of aromatic herb used in cooking.
  Example – What goes best with roast chicken – thyme or rosemary?
• Time is a period which is measured in seconds, minutes, hours, days, etc.
  Example –Time is precious, utilize it carefully.

45. Vein (noun) or Vain (adjective) –

• A vein is a small tube inside your body that takes the blood back to the heart.
  Example – I could feel the blood flowing through my veins.
• The word vain can describe someone who is very proud of or obsessed with their own appearance. It also means self-obsessed.
  Example – I tried in vain to start a conversation.

46. Wait (verb) or Weight (noun) –

• The wait means to stay in one place or to anticipate something.
  Example – I can’t wait to tell Avril what happened.
• Weight indicates how heavy something is.
  Example – My weight reduced when I started to follow the proper diet plan.

47. Wear (verb) or Where (interrogative) –

• Wear means to have something on one’s body as clothing, decoration, or protection.
  Example – She wears very little make-up. What about you?
•  Where means in which place or position
  Example – Could you please tell me, where are we going?

48. Weak (adjective) or Week (noun) –

• Weak is the opposite of strong.
  Example – Are you weak in English? If yes, then please follow this guide: How to improve English? – An innovative guide with resources
• A week is a period of 7 days.
  Example – He works 48 hours per week.

49. Waste (noun, verb) or Waist (noun) –

• Waste refers to something that is unused, discarded, or thrown away. As a verb, it means to use carelessly or extravagantly.
  Example – Please recycle to reduce waste.
• Waist is the part of the body between the ribs and hips.
  Example – She wore a belt to cinch her waist.

50. Weather (noun) or Whether (conjunction) –

• Weather refers to the atmospheric conditions in a specific place at a specific time.
  Example – The weather forecast predicts rain tomorrow.
• Whether is used to introduce alternatives or possibilities.
  Example – I am not sure whether I should go to the party or stay home.

A lot, huh? Not actually. There are many more but we chose these 50 for you. I hope you will remember these words with the same pronunciation but different meanings and will use them perfectly.

Well, to provide you with perfect meanings, we used Google, Cambridge, and Oxford Dictionaries.

Another amazing and helpful blog is coming soon. Till then, keep learning about homophones and more.

“Learning never exhausts the mind.” – Leonardo da Vinci

Comment if you know any more homophones.