HOMONYM, a term for those words which differ in sense but are alike in sound or spelling or both (Gr. oµwvuµos, having the same name). Words spelt but not sounded alike, e.g., "bow," are homographs; and words alike only in sound, e.g., "meat," "meet," homophones. Skeat (Etymol. Dict.) gives a list of Eng lish homonyms.