Homonym can be troublesome because it may refer to three distinct classes of words. Homonyms may be words with identical pronunciations but different spellings and meanings, such as to, too, and two.

Mar 12, 2019 · The description of a homonym covers that of both a homograph and a homophone. For example, ‘bear’, ‘tear’ and ‘lead’ are all homographs, but they also satisfy the criteria of a homonym.

The word homonym comes from the Greek ὁμώνυμος (homonymos), meaning "having the same name," [6] compounded from ὁμός (homos) "common, same, similar" [7] and ὄνομα (onoma) "name."

When homonyms have the same sound, they are called "homophones." When they have the same spelling, they are called "homographs." (Homographs with different sounds (e.g., " tear drop" and "to …

HOMONYM definition: 1. a word that sounds the same or is spelled the same as another word but has a different meaning…. Learn more.

Homonyms in English can be confusing at first—they’re words that look or sound the same but have different meanings. You’ve probably seen them before without even realizing it. In this article, we’ll …

A homonym can be a homophone (same sound) or a homograph (same spelling). Think like homonym as the “parent category,” while homophone and homograph are its “children.”

Definition of homonym noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

Dec 10, 2025 · (taxonomy) A name for a taxon that is identical in spelling to another name that belongs to a different taxon. Homonyms (in the broader sense) are divided into the two overlapping …

HOMONYM definition: a word pronounced the same as another but differing in meaning, whether spelled the same way or not, as heir and air; a homophone. See examples of homonym used in a …