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.

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 …

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."

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

Homonym traces back to the Greek words homos, meaning “same,” and onuma, meaning “name.” So a homonym is sort of like two people who have the same name: called the same thing but different.

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 …