354 Sentences to Test Your Knowledge of Homophones
Did you know?
Every order processed by ProofreadingServices.com provides funding for one day of food and education for a child in Tanzania. If you'd like to support our social mission, you can order proofreading, translation, or resume writing.
Every order processed by ProofreadingServices.com provides funding for one day of food and education for a child in Tanzania. If you'd like to support our social mission, you can order proofreading, translation, or resume writing.
Figuring out whether to use "too" or "to" is difficult even for experienced writers, so our team understands that telling homophones apart can be challenging for English learners of all levels. This is why we've compiled a useful list of 354 everyday sentences you can use to test yourself and improve your knowledge of common homophones. Try it out!
We offer these sentences and other challenging exercises on idioms, synonyms, antonyms, and more in 1,574 Flashcards All English Learners Need to Have, a package of flashcards for use at home or in the classroom. If you need more support to learn English fast, we also offer English tutoring for students worldwide.
View the correct answers by downloading this PDF answer key.
1. Her shoes are [two/too] small.
2. He has [two/too] dogs.
3. The Earth orbits around the [son/sun].
4. Their [son/sun] is an only child.
5. The [son/sun] was shining through the window.
6. She [new/knew] how to speak Spanish.
7. He started a [new/knew] job on Monday.
8. He held the railing as he walked down the [stairs/stares].
9. The cat sits in the window and [stairs/stares] at the squirrel.
10. I can [sea/see] the mountains in the distance.
11. Fishermen make their living from the [sea/see].
12. I'll [sea/see] you at the meeting next week.
13. The [sea/see] wall protected the village from the waves.
14. The actors had to shoot the [scene/seen] three times.
15. The cat was last [scene/seen] in the backyard.
16. The crime [scene/seen] was surrounded by yellow tape.
17. Have you [scene/seen] my keys?
18. It's going to rain today [weather/whether] you like it or not.
19. The [weather/whether] on the weekend is supposed to be sunny.
20. The final cost depends on [weather/whether] you choose the small or the large size.
21. The tree [blue/blew] over in the storm.
22. We painted the ceiling [blue/blew].
23. The snowstorm will [affect/effect] thousands of travelers.
24. The [affect/effect] of the changes was unexpected.
25. At the grocery store, coffee is in the same [aisle/isle] as tea.
26. Thousands of seabirds nest on the small [aisle/isle].
27. They weren't [allowed/aloud] to take their dog into the store.
28. The teacher read the instructions [allowed/aloud] to the students.
29. The day was warm, so the students [ate/eight] their lunch outside.
30. She works for [ate/eight] hours every weekday.
31. The dog chased the [ball/bawl] into the neighbor's yard.
32. That movie is so sad; the ending always makes me [ball/bawl].
33. The children [bear/bare] a resemblance to their grandfather.
34. After the sale, the store's shelves were almost [bear/bare].
35. The tourists sat at the [base/bass] of the statue.
36. She plays [base/bass] clarinet in the orchestra.
37. The contractors [billed/build] the company for travel expenses.
38. We want to [billed/build] a new shed in the garden.
39. She [blew/blue] out the candle and went to sleep.
40. He signed the document in [blew/blue] ink.
41. He chopped the onions on the cutting [board/bored].
42. She was [board/bored] because she didn't have any work to do.
43. If you drop your phone, you might [break/brake] it.
44. He had to [break/brake] suddenly to avoid hitting the deer.
45. I [buy/by] most of my books online.
46. I drive [buy/by] the park on my way to work.
47. Seoul is the [capital/capitol] of South Korea.
48. The [capital/capitol] building was built in 1878.
49. The students studied a diagram of a plant [cell/sell].
50. They [cell/sell] postage stamps at the corner store.
51. You can't buy anything with one [cent/sent/scent] anymore.
52. The flowers have a very strong [cent/sent/scent].
53. The doctor [cent/sent/scent] his patient to a specialist.
54. You get only one [chance/chants] to pass the test.
55. The singers practiced their [chance/chants] before the service.
56. Their dog [chews/choose] on the furniture
57. The teacher let the students [chews/choose] their essay topics.
58. Remember to [close/clothes] the windows before you leave.
59. She hung up the [close/clothes] in the closet.
60. He sanded the wood with [coarse/course] sandpaper.
61. He's taking a [coarse/course] in marketing.
62. The stairs [creak/creek] in my house.
63. The [creak/creek] floods every spring.
64. Your parcel should arrive in three [days/daze].
65. I had to get up early, so I've been in a [days/daze] all morning.
66. She's such a [dear/deer] friend.
67. The [dear/deer] ate all the lettuce in the garden.
68. His shoes were soaked from walking through the [dew/do/due].
69. I have to [dew/do/due] my taxes this weekend.
70. My history assignment is [dew/do/due] on Wednesday.
71. Make your decision based on [facts/fax].
72. The printer is also a [facts/fax] machine.
73. He is a very honest and [fair/fare] man.
74. The subway [fair/fare] is going up next week.
75. I can't [find/fined] my wallet!
76. She was [find/fined] for driving over the speed limit.
77. The [flower/flour] has red petals.
78. Add more [flower/flour] if the dough is too sticky.
79. The cake is [for/four] her birthday.
80. Our neighbors have [for/four] children.
81. Richard Dawkins wrote the [foreword/forward] to the second edition of the book.
82. He released the brake, and the tractor slowly moved [foreword/forward].
83. The [gene/jean] for red hair is recessive.
84. The bag is made from [gene/jean] fabric.
85. Don't forget to [grease/Greece] the cake pan.
86. Sophocles was a tragedian from Ancient [grease/Greece].
87. The comedian's jokes are so bad that audiences usually [groan/grown] instead of laugh.
88. A fully [groan/grown] Chihuahua weighs less than the average house cat.
89. She cuts her [hair/hare] short in the summer.
90. A [hair/hare] often visits the garden behind the house.
91. The loft is filled with [hay/hey] for the winter.
92. [Hay/Hey]! Stop! Thief!
93. If properly treated, the wound should [heal/heel] within a few weeks.
94. My new shoes gave me a blister on my right [heal/heel].
95. I can't [hear/here] what he's saying.
96. They'll be [hear/here] tomorrow.
97. Say [hi/high] to Sarah for me.
98. The shelf is too [hi/high] for me to reach.
99. After the concert, his voice was [hoarse/horse] from cheering.
100. We keep a [hoarse/horse], two cows, and six chickens.
101. The water leaked in through a [hole/whole] in the roof.
102. I read the [hole/whole] book over the weekend.
103. Their appointment lasted for almost an [hour/our].
104. We're visiting [hour/our] grandparents on the weekend.
105. The medieval [knight/night] was known for his horsemanship.
106. Raccoons are more active at [knight/night].
107. Hold on, I've got a [knot/naught/not] in my shoelace.
108. In the end, our efforts were all for [knot/naught/not].
109. I'm [knot/naught/not] going to work today.
110. Do you [know/no] how to speak Spanish?
111. There's [know/no] water in the swimming pool.
112. We [leased/least] the apartment for the summer.
113. The early morning flight is the [leased/least] expensive.
114. You have to repay the [loan/lone] by the end of the month.
115. He is the [loan/lone] occupant of the building.
116. I [made/maid] fresh coffee if you'd like some.
117. They hired a [made/maid] to clean the house.
118. I'll [mail/male] you the invoice.
119. A [mail/male] deer is called a buck.
120. They plan to [marry/merry] in the spring.
121. The band played a [marry/merry] tune.
122. The pasta is served with a [meat/meet] sauce.
123. She plans to [meat/meet] him at the airport.
124. After dicing the onion, [mince/mints] the garlic.
125. The waiter gave the diners some complimentary [mince/mints].
126. I slept in and [missed/mist] the bus!
127. The rain slowed down and became a light [missed/mist].
128. I have to work in the [morning/mourning], but I'm free in the afternoon.
129. The family were in [morning/mourning] for a month.
130. [None/Nun] of the witnesses could identify the suspect.
131. At age 25, she took her vows and became a [none/nun].
132. Each passenger is allowed [one/won] piece of carry-on luggage.
133. The candidate [one/won] the vote by a narrow margin.
134. We collected the clams in a plastic [pail/pale].
135. Are you all right? You look [pail/pale].
136. The house has a [pear/pair] tree in the backyard.
137. I need to buy a new [pear/pair] of gloves.
138. Training your dog requires a lot of [patience/patients].
139. The doctor is accepting new [patience/patients].
140. Would you like a [piece/peace] of cake?
141. I escaped to the library for some [piece/peace] and quiet.
142. Print your essay on [plain/plane] white paper.
143. The [plain/plane] circled the airport and prepared for landing.
144. If the [rain/reign] continues, the river might flood.
145. My great-grandfather was born during the [rain/reign] of Queen Victoria.
146. I [read/red] that book in one sitting!
147. The [read/red] dress is my favorite.
148. Drive two blocks and turn [right/write] at the traffic lights.
149. I try to [right/write] in my journal every day.
150. The [road/rode] is closed for repairs.
151. I [road/rode] my bike to work this morning.
152. Wear leather gloves when pruning the [rose/rows] bush.
153. The table has twenty [rose/rows] and five columns.
154. We watched the balloon [sail/sale] away on the breeze.
155. When I bought my tablet, it was on [sail/sale].
156. The film's director decided to reshoot the [scene/seen].
157. The children had never [scene/seen] snow before.
158. My parents moved to a small house by the [sea/see].
159. I can't wait to [sea/see] her new movie!
160. My grandmother taught me how to [sew/so] my own clothes.
161. It's [sew/so] cold outside!
162. She was the [sole/soul] passenger on the bus.
163. Some say brevity is the [sole/soul] of wit.
164. Their [son/sun] is a dentist.
165. I like to hang my laundry outside in the [son/sun] to dry.
166. Watch your step—the third [stair/stare] has a broken tread.
167. If you [stair/stare] at the optical illusion, the circles appear to be moving.
168. I watched the crow [steal/steel] food from the picnickers.
169. Many skyscrapers have [steal/steel] frames.
170. We bought a three-piece [suite/sweet] for the living room.
171. The dessert was too [suite/sweet] for my tastes.
172. They took [their/there] grandchildren to the zoo.
173. Are [their/there] any volunteers?
174. He [threw/through] the wrapper into the garbage.
175. We drove [threw/through] a thunderstorm on the way here.
176. I'm going [to/too/two] university in the fall.
177. She wants one [to/too/two].
178. We have [to/too/two] cats and a dog.
179. Try to [vary/very] your routine to avoid boredom.
180. The investigator was [vary/very] thorough.
181. The dress is too tight around the [waist/waste].
182. Don't leave the tap running and [waist/waste] water.
183. Please [wait/weight] behind the line.
184. The bulk store sells food by [wait/weight].
185. He enlisted in the army and went to [war/wore] when he was only eighteen.
186. I [war/wore] my new shoes today.
187. I usually [wear/where] boots when I go hiking.
188. Do you know [wear/where] the library is?
189. I'm recovering from the flu, and I still feel [weak/week].
190. Your parcel should arrive next [weak/week].
191. In the summer, the [weather/whether] can be very hot around here.
192. I don't know [weather/whether] to laugh or cry.
193. [Which/Witch] brand do you recommend?
194. You dress up as a [which/witch] every Halloween!
195. We installed [wood/would] flooring throughout our house.
196. He [wood/would] prefer to speak with you in person.
197. [There/Their/They're] isn't time to waste!
198. After recess, the students returned to [there/their/they're] desks.
199. I wonder where [there/their/they're] going.
200. If [you're/your] busy, I can come back later.
201. What is [you're/your] last name?
202. The courier left the parcel [by/buy/bye] the front door.
203. I'll [by/buy/bye] lunch today.
204. OK, [by/buy/bye]! I'll see you later!
205. The rabbit remained [stationary/stationery] to avoid being seen.
206. She wrote thank-you letters on personalized [stationary/stationery].
207. Many restaurants serve [complimentary/complementary] bread with the meal.
208. In the logo, the blue contrasts well with its [complimentary/complementary] color, yellow.
209. You'll have to [brake/break] hard when you go down the hill.
210. Don't try to force the window open, or you might [brake/break] it.
211. The doctor prescribed her a [course/coarse] of antibiotics.
212. The dog's fur is very thick and [course/coarse].
213. It was a beautiful day, so I [ate/eight] my lunch in the park.
214. As its name suggests, the octopus has [ate/eight] arms.
215. It's too cold for [bare/bear] legs today.
216. In the summer, the [bare/bear] eats a lot of berries.
217. I'm saving up to [buy/by/bye] a new laptop.
218. This song was written [buy/by/bye] John Lennon.
219. [Buy/By/Bye]! I'll see you tomorrow!
220. The prisoner banged his cup against the bars of his [cell/sell] .
221. I'm going to [cell/sell] my old laptop online.
222. The dog's paws were wet from the [dew/do/due] on the lawn.
223. What should I [dew/do/due] if the power goes out?
224. I'm stressed out! I have another assignment [dew/do/due] tomorrow.
225. The wind gusted, and a speck of dirt blew into my [eye/I].
226. [Eye/I] can't remember my password!
227. I played the [fairy/ferry] Cobweb in A Midsummer's Night Dream.
228. The [fairy/ferry] doesn't run in bad weather, leaving the islanders cut off from the mainland.
229. The recipe calls for two cups of [flour/flower].
230. The plant's [flour/flower] is small but strongly scented.
231. We're still waiting [for/four] Anne to arrive.
232. Many mammals walk on all [for/four] legs.
233. You'll have to speak louder; I can't [hear/here] what you're saying.
234. Is everybody [hear/here]?
235. You have exactly one [hour/our] to complete the exam.
236. We hired a professional to paint [hour/our] house.
237. Do you [know/no] how to swim?
238. The old house has [know/no] central heating.
239. When I was a kid, I used to pretend to be a [knight/night] in King Arthur's court.
240. My cat likes to run around the house at [knight/night] when I'm sleeping.
241. Your invitation will be sent by [mail/male].
242. If you want to have two cats, a [mail/male] and a female will usually get along.
243. I'm not sure if I want to [marry/merry] him.
244. She sent a present to wish her grandmother a [marry/merry] Christmas.
245. I try to eat less [meat/meet] and more vegetables.
246. Tomorrow, I have to [meat/meet] with the new manager.
247. Human cells have 23 [pairs/pears] of chromosomes.
248. I'm making poached [pairs/pears] for dessert.
249. Am I doing this the [right/write] way?
250. I [right/write] a weekly column for the local newspaper.
251. Eagles have excellent vision and often hunt their prey by [sight/site].
252. The construction [sight/site] was surrounded by a chain link fence.
253. My sister has one [son/sun] and two daughters.
254. Many traffic accidents occur when drivers are blinded by [son/sun] glare.
255. The travelers waited to collect [their/there/they're] luggage.
256. Why do we have to go [their/there/they're]? Can't we stay here?
257. I don't think they know what [their/there/they're] doing.
258. I can't wait [to/too/two] go camping next weekend.
259. I thought the soup was [to/too/two] salty.
260. Many families own [to/too/two] cars nowadays.
261. I work better if I can focus on [one/won] task at a time.
262. A guy at my office [one/won] the lottery!
263. [Wait/Weight] for the cookies to cool before you eat them.
264. I need to lose [wait/weight], so I've started walking to work.
265. Can I [wear/where] jeans, or is that too casual?
266. I'll never forget [wear/where] I was when I heard the news.
267. You can leave your coats over [their/there/they're].
268. They have a swimming pool at [their/there/they're] house.
269. [Their/There/They're] closing early on Christmas Eve.
270. The printer uses [to/too/two] ink cartridges, one black and one color.
271. I hope this meeting isn't [to/too/two] long.
272. He has [to/too/two] leave for work at six in the morning.
273. The robin is busy building [its/it's] nest.
274. Let me know when [its/it's] time to leave.
275. Are you [sure/shore] this is the right address?
276. Houses built near the [sure/shore] are at greater risk of flooding.
277. There is a weather vane on the [peak/peek/pique] of the barn roof.
278. The author posted a sneak [peak/peek/pique] of her latest novel on her website.
279. Comfort food can help [peak/peek/pique] their appetite.
280. Thank you for the thoughtful [compliment/complement].
281. Their different personalities [compliment/complement] each other well.
282. If you can't find a solution, take a [break/brake] and work on something else.
283. Make sure to put on the parking [break/brake] when you park your car.
284. He's the only [one/won] here who can speak Japanese.
285. Kazuo Ishiguro [one/won] the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2017.
286. I have to [meet/meat] with my lawyer this afternoon.
287. Season the [meet/meat] with salt and pepper, and then brown it in a hot pan.
288. The wind gust almost blew me off my [feet/feat]!
289. Giving medicine to my cat is no easy [feet/feat].
290. His [toe/tow] protruded from a hole in his sock.
291. We watched the tugboat [toe/tow] the ship into harbor.
292. The [creek/creak] eventually flows into a larger river.
293. She heard the front door [creek/creak] open as he returned home.
294. She learned to [read/reed] when she was only four years old.
295. The duck hid her ducklings among the dense [reads/reeds].
296. Stop signs are usually [red/read].
297. I [red/read] the directions, but I still can't figure out how it works.
298. Swallows seem to spend most of their time in the [air/heir].
299. His wife is [air/heir] to the family fortune.
300. The snowshoe [hare/hair] turns white in the winter.
301. I have three dogs, so my house is usually covered in [hare/hair].
302. I try to travel lightly, packing only the [bare/bear] essentials.
303. The grizzly [bare/bear] was skilled at catching salmon.
304. His words [wield/wheeled] tremendous influence among his followers.
305. I [wield/wheeled] the recycling bin to the curb.
306. The bird flew [through/threw] the open window.
307. She [through/threw] the stick for her dog.
308. He sharpened his pencil, [but/butt] the lead broke as soon as he started writing.
309. The politician was frequently the [but/butt] of comedians' jokes.
310. If you don't water your houseplants, they will [die/dye].
311. The actor had to [die/dye] his hair black for the role.
312. They often drink [wine/whine] with their meals.
313. The dog will [wine/whine] at the door when he wants to go out.
314. The truck driver pulled over to the side of the [road/rode].
315. I [road/rode] the bus to school every morning.
316. My aunt has a pet [Road/Rode/Rhode] Island Red rooster.
317. I have only one [pair/pear] of shoes.
318. That [pair/pear] isn't ripe enough to eat yet.
319. The monkey hung from the tree by its [tail/tale].
320. My grandfather told us a [tail/tale] about his childhood.
321. Do you have [time/thyme] to proofread my essay?
322. I grow [time/thyme] in a pot on my balcony.
323. Martens and [fishers/fissures] are closely related carnivorous mammals.
324. After the earthquake, the pavement was cracked with deep [fishers/fissures].
325. I didn't have time to watch the [whole/hole] movie.
326. The badger dug a [whole/hole] in the garden.
327. When I'm [bored/board], I get sleepy.
328. The carpenter sawed the [bored/board] in half.
329. I won't [bore/boar] you with the details, but I finally finished my taxes.
330. The wild [bore/boar] is the ancestor of most domestic swine.
331. Fertilize your tomato plants to [ensure/insure] a good harvest.
332. Remember to [ensure/insure] your vehicle before you drive it.
333. There's nothing wrong with my [sight/site]; I wear glasses because I like how they look.
334. We visited the [sight/site] of the historic battle.
335. Mange is caused by a type of parasitic [mite/might].
336. I [mite/might] be wrong, but I think the store is closed today.
337. I felt the [effect/affect] of the medication almost immediately.
338. A poor night's sleep can [effect/affect] your whole day.
339. Will you [be/bee] coming to the Christmas party?
340. A [be/bee] landed on the flower.
341. I've never seen [so/sew] many fireflies!
342. I learned to [so/sew] in home economics.
343. My [Aunt/Ant] Caroline is my mother's youngest sister.
344. An [aunt/ant] can carry up to 50 times its body weight.
345. When my calculations are wrong, I have to [pore/pour] over the spreadsheet to find the error.
346. While whisking constantly, slowly [pore/pour] the oil into vinegar in a steady stream.
347. The tornado [tore/tour] through the city's industrial district.
348. They gave us a [tore/tour] of their new house.
349. I'll be on holidays next [week/weak].
350. This coffee is too [week/weak].
351. In the summer, she often makes mixed [berry/bury] cobblers.
352. The squirrels [berry/bury] the peanuts under the snow.
353. I don't know [whether/weather] I should leave or stay.
354. He always checks the [whether/weather] in the morning before he leaves for work.
View the correct answers by downloading this PDF answer key.
How did you do? Don't worry if you didn't get all 354 right on your first try. Practice makes perfect, so keep practicing here or using our package 1,574 Flashcards All English Learners Need to Have, which will help you master homophones as well as other important English vocabulary. And remember, if you need a little more help, we're here to support you on your English learning journey with English tutoring, as well.
