100 examples of homonyms with sentences and meaning

100 examples of homonyms with sentences and meaning

1.ax – acts

2.axel – axle

3.axes – axis

4.beer – bier

5.beet – beat

6.bell – belle

7.berry – bury

8.berth – birth

9.better – bettor

10.bib – bibb

11.bight – bite

12.bury – berry

13.bussed – bust

14.but – butt

15.buy – by – bye

16.byte – bight

17.cache – cash

18.caddie – caddy

19.cain – cane

20.cheap – cheep

21.check – Czech

22.clique – click

23.colonel – kernel

24.coolie – coulee

25.coop – coupe

26.council – counsel

27.coup – coo

28.course – coarse

29.cousin – cozen

30.coward – cowered

31.coy – koi

32.cozen – cousin

33.craft – kraft

34.crape – crepe

35.crawl – kraal

36.creak – creek

37.crepe – crape

38.dyeing – dying

39.fare – fair

40.fate – fete

41.faun – fawn

42.fax – facts

43.faze – phase

44.feat – feet

45.feint – faint

46.fends – fens

47.flour – flower

48.flow – floe

49.flower – flour

50.flu – flue – flew

51.graft – graphed

52.graham – gram

53.graphed – graft

54.heroin – heroine

55.hertz – hurts

56.hew – hue

57.hey – hay

58.hi – high

59.higher – hire

60.him – hymn

61.hire – higher

62.ho – hoe

63.hoard – horde

64.hoarse – horse

65.hoe – ho

66.hoes – hose

67.hold – holed

68.hole – whole

69.holed – hold

70.hue – hew

71.humerus

72.leased – least

73.led – lead

74.lee – lea

75.leech – leach

76.mite – might

77.moan – mown

78.moat – mote

79.mousse – moose

80.mowed – mode

81.mown – moan

82.Mrs – misses

83.mucous – mucus

84.navel – naval

85.nay – neigh

86.need – knead

87.neigh – nay

88.new – gnu – knew

89.nice – gneiss

90.Nice – niece

91.nickers – knickers

92.niece – Nice

93.night – knight

94.ode – owed

95.oh – owe

96.one – won

97.overseas – oversees

98.owe – oh

99.padded – patted

100.paean – paeon

able

Meaning; having the power, skill, means, or opportunity to do something.

Example Sentence; he was able to read Greek at the age of eight

 

accede

Meaning; agree to a demand, request, or treaty.

Example Sentence; the authorities did not accede to the strikers’ demands

 

exceed

Meaning; be greater in number or size than (a quantity, number, or other measurable thing).

Example Sentence; production costs have exceeded £60,000

 

accept

Meaning; consent to receive or undertake (something offered).

Example Sentence; he accepted a pen as a present

 

except

Meaning; not including; other than.

Example Sentence; they work every day except Sunday

 

addition

Meaning; the action or process of adding something to something else.

Example Sentence; the hotel has been extended with the addition of more rooms

 

edition

Meaning; a particular form or version of a published text.

Example Sentence; a paperback edition

 

add

Meaning; join (something) to something else so as to increase the size, number, or amount.

Example Sentence; I’ve started a petition so if you would like to add your name, email me

 

adze

Meaning; a tool similar to an axe, with an arched blade at right angles to the handle, used for cutting or shaping large pieces of wood.

Example Sentence;

 

affect

Meaning; have an effect on; make a difference to.

Example Sentence; the dampness began to affect my health

 

bier

Meaning; a movable frame on which a coffin or a corpse is placed before burial or cremation or on which they are carried to the grave.

Example Sentence;

 

beet

Meaning; a herbaceous plant widely cultivated as a source of food for humans and livestock, and for processing into sugar. Some varieties are grown for their leaves and some for their large nutritious root.

Example Sentence;

 

beat

Meaning; strike (a person or an animal) repeatedly and violently so as to hurt or injure them, typically with an implement such as a club or whip.

Example Sentence; if we were caught we were beaten

 

bell

Meaning; a hollow metal object, typically in the shape of a deep inverted cup widening at the lip, that sounds a clear musical note when struck, especially by means of a clapper inside.

Example Sentence; the church bells tolled

 

belle

Meaning; a beautiful girl or woman, especially the most beautiful at a particular event.

Example Sentence; the belle of the ball

 

berry

Meaning; a small roundish juicy fruit without a stone.

Example Sentence; juniper berries

 

bury

Meaning; put or hide underground.

Example Sentence; he buried the box in the back garden

 

berth

Meaning; a ship’s allotted place at a wharf or dock.

Example Sentence; the vessel had left its berth

 

birth

Meaning; the emergence of a baby or other young from the body of its mother; the start of life as a physically separate being.

Example Sentence; he was blind from birth

 

better

Meaning; more desirable, satisfactory, or effective.

Example Sentence; we’re hoping for better weather tomorrow

 

bettor

Meaning; a person who bets, especially on a regular basis.

Example Sentence; she described herself as a moderate bettor

 

bib

Meaning; a piece of cloth or plastic fastened round a child’s neck to keep its clothes clean while eating.

Example Sentence;

 

bibb lettuce

Meaning; a butterhead lettuce of a variety that has crisp dark green leaves.

Example Sentence;

 

bight

Meaning; a curve or recess in a coastline, river, or other geographical feature.

Example Sentence;

 

bite

Meaning; (of a person or animal) use the teeth to cut into or through something.

Example Sentence; he bit off a piece of cheese

 

bus

Meaning; transport in a communal road vehicle.

Example Sentence; staff were bussed in and out of the factory

 

bust

Meaning; a woman’s chest as measured around her breasts.

Example Sentence; a 36-inch bust

 

but

Meaning; used to introduce a phrase or clause contrasting with what has already been mentioned.

Example Sentence; he stumbled but didn’t fall

 

butt

Meaning; (of a person or animal) hit (someone or something) with the head or horns.

Example Sentence; she butted him in the chest

 

buy

Meaning; obtain in exchange for payment.

Example Sentence; she bought six first-class stamps

 

by

Meaning; identifying the agent performing an action.

Example Sentence;

 

bye

Meaning; the transfer of a competitor directly to the next round of a competition in the absence of an assigned opponent.

Example Sentence; he has a bye into the second round

 

byte

Meaning; a group of binary digits or bits (usually eight) operated on as a unit.

Example Sentence;

 

cache

Meaning; a collection of items of the same type stored in a hidden or inaccessible place.

Example Sentence; an arms cache

 

cash

Meaning; money in coins or notes, as distinct from cheques, money orders, or credit.

Example Sentence; the staff were paid in cash

 

caddie

Meaning; a person who carries a golfer’s clubs and provides other assistance during a match.

Example Sentence;

 

caddy

Meaning; a small storage container, typically one with divisions.

Example Sentence; a tool caddy

 

cane

Meaning; the hollow jointed stem of a tall grass, especially bamboo or sugar cane, or the stem of a slender palm such as rattan.

Example Sentence;

 

cheap

Meaning; low in price, especially in relation to similar items or services.

Example Sentence; local buses were reliable and cheap

 

cheep

Meaning; a short, high squeaky cry made by a young bird.

Example Sentence;

 

check

Meaning; examine (something) in order to determine its accuracy, quality, or condition, or to detect the presence of something.

Example Sentence; customs officers have the right to check all luggage

 

Czech

Meaning; a native or inhabitant of the Czech Republic or (formerly) Czechoslovakia, or a person of Czech descent.

Example Sentence;

 

clique

Meaning; a small close-knit group of people who do not readily allow others to join them.

Example Sentence; his flat became a haven for a clique of young men of similar tastes

 

click

Meaning; a short, sharp sound as of a switch being operated or of two hard objects coming smartly into contact.

Example Sentence; she heard the click of the door

 

colonel

Meaning; a rank of officer in the army and in the US air force, above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier or brigadier general.

Example Sentence;

 

kernel

Meaning; a softer, usually edible part of a nut, seed, or fruit stone contained within its shell.

Example Sentence; the kernel of a walnut

 

coolie

Meaning; an unskilled native labourer in India, China, and some other Asian countries.

Example Sentence;

 

coulee

Meaning; a short flow of viscous lava.

Example Sentence;

 

coop

Meaning; a cage or pen in which poultry are kept.

Example Sentence;

 

coupe

Meaning; a car with a fixed roof, two doors, and a sloping rear.

Example Sentence;

 

cop

Meaning; a police officer.

Example Sentence; a cop in a patrol car gave chase

 

copse

Meaning; a small group of trees.

Example Sentence;

 

coral

Meaning; a hard stony substance secreted by certain marine coelenterates as an external skeleton, typically forming large reefs in warm seas.

Example Sentence; a coral reef

 

choral

Meaning; composed for or sung by a choir or chorus.

Example Sentence; a choral work

 

cord

Meaning; thin, flexible string or rope made from several twisted strands.

Example Sentence; hang the picture from a rail on a length of cord

 

core

Meaning; remove the tough central part and seeds from (a fruit).

Example Sentence; peel and core the pears

 

core

Meaning; the tough central part of various fruits, containing the seeds.

Example Sentence; a pineapple core

 

corps

Meaning; a main subdivision of an army in the field, consisting of two or more divisions.

Example Sentence; the 5th Army Corps

 

chord

Meaning; a group of (typically three or more) notes sounded together, as a basis of harmony.

Example Sentence; the triumphal opening chords

 

coffer

Meaning; a strongbox or small chest for holding valuables.

Example Sentence; a battered leather coffer sealed with a waxen crest

 

council

Meaning; an advisory, deliberative, or administrative body of people formally constituted and meeting regularly.

Example Sentence; an official human rights council

 

counsel

Meaning; advice, especially that given formally.

Example Sentence; with wise counsel a couple can buy a home that will be appreciating in value

 

coup

Meaning; a sudden, violent, and illegal seizure of power from a government.

Example Sentence; he was overthrown in an army coup

 

coo

Meaning; (of a pigeon or dove) make a soft murmuring sound.

Example Sentence; ringdoves cooed among the branches

 

course

Meaning; the route or direction followed by a ship, aircraft, road, or river.

Example Sentence; the road adopts a tortuous course along the coast

 

coarse

Meaning; rough or harsh in texture.

Example Sentence; a coarse woollen cloth

 

cousin

Meaning; a child of one’s uncle or aunt.

Example Sentence;

 

cozen

Meaning; trick or deceive.

Example Sentence; do not think to cozen your contemporaries

 

coward

Meaning; a person who is contemptibly lacking in the courage to do or endure dangerous or unpleasant things.

Example Sentence; they had run away—the cowards!

 

cower

Meaning; crouch down in fear.

Example Sentence; children cowered in terror as the shoot-out erupted

 

coy

Meaning; (especially with reference to a woman) making a pretence of shyness or modesty which is intended to be alluring.

Example Sentence; she treated him to a coy smile of invitation

 

koi

Meaning; a common carp of a large ornamental variety, originally bred in Japan.

Example Sentence;

 

craft

Meaning; an activity involving skill in making things by hand.

Example Sentence; the craft of cobbling

 

kraft

Meaning; a kind of strong, smooth brown wrapping paper.

Example Sentence;

 

crape

Meaning; variant spelling of crêpe.

Example Sentence;

 

crêpe

Meaning; a light, thin fabric with a wrinkled surface.

Example Sentence; a crêpe bandage

 

crawl

Meaning; move forward on the hands and knees or by dragging the body close to the ground.

Example Sentence; they crawled from under the table

 

kraal

Meaning; a traditional African village of huts, typically enclosed by a fence.

Example Sentence;

 

creak

Meaning; (of an object or structure, typically a wooden one) make a harsh, high-pitched sound when being moved or when pressure or weight is applied.

Example Sentence; the stairs creaked as she went up them

 

creek

Meaning; a narrow, sheltered waterway, especially an inlet in a shoreline or channel in a marsh.

Example Sentence; a sandy beach in a sheltered creek

 

dye

Meaning; add a colour to or change the colour of (something) by soaking it in a solution impregnated with a dye.

Example Sentence; I dyed my hair blonde

 

dying

Meaning; on the point of death.

Example Sentence; he visited his dying mother

 

fare

Meaning; the money paid for a journey on public transport.

Example Sentence; we should go to Seville, but we cannot afford the air fare

 

fair

Meaning; treating people equally without favouritism or discrimination.

Example Sentence; the group has achieved fair and equal representation for all its members

 

fate

Meaning; the development of events outside a person’s control, regarded as predetermined by a supernatural power.

Example Sentence; fate decided his course for him

 

fete

Meaning; a public function, typically held outdoors and organized to raise funds for a charity, including entertainment and the sale of goods and refreshments.

Example Sentence; a church fete

 

faun

Meaning; one of a class of lustful rural gods, represented as a man with a goat’s horns, ears, legs, and tail.

Example Sentence;

 

fawn

Meaning; a young deer in its first year.

Example Sentence; a six-month-old roe fawn

 

fax

Meaning; an exact copy of a document made by electronic scanning and transmitted as data by telecommunications links.

Example Sentence; we got a three-page fax from her assistant

 

fact

Meaning; a thing that is known or proved to be true.

Example Sentence; he ignores some historical and economic facts

 

faze

Meaning; disturb or disconcert (someone).

Example Sentence; she was not fazed by his show of anger

 

phase

Meaning; a distinct period or stage in a series of events or a process of change or development.

Example Sentence; the final phases of the war

 

feat

Meaning; an achievement that requires great courage, skill, or strength.

Example Sentence; the new printing presses were considerable feats of engineering

 

foot

Meaning; the lower extremity of the leg below the ankle, on which a person stands or walks.

Example Sentence;

 

feint

Meaning; a deceptive or pretended blow, thrust, or other movement, especially in boxing or fencing.

Example Sentence; a brief feint at the opponent’s face

 

faint

Meaning; (of a sight, smell, or sound) barely perceptible.

Example Sentence; the faint murmur of voices

 

fend

Meaning; look after and provide for oneself, without any help from others.

Example Sentence; she left her 14-year-old daughter to fend for herself

 

fen

Meaning; a low and marshy or frequently flooded area of land.

Example Sentence; a native species of fens and damp meadows

 

flour

Meaning; a powder obtained by grinding grain, typically wheat, and used to make bread, cakes, and pastry.

Example Sentence;

 

flower

Meaning; the seed-bearing part of a plant, consisting of reproductive organs (stamens and carpels) that are typically surrounded by a brightly coloured corolla (petals) and a green calyx (sepals).

Example Sentence;

 

flow

Meaning; (of a liquid, gas, or electricity) move steadily and continuously in a current or stream.

Example Sentence; from here the river flows north

 

floe

Meaning; a sheet of floating ice.