beTo exist or to happen, as in: I will be home soon.
beeA flying insect. Some kinds make honey.
blewWhat the wind did: the past tense of blow.
blueThe color of a clear sky.
buyTo get something by paying for it.
byNext to, as in: the lamp by the door.
dearMuch loved; also the word that opens a letter.
deerA hoofed animal whose males usually have antlers.
flourA powder ground from grain and used to bake bread.
flowerThe bloom of a plant, often bright in color.
hearTo take in sound with your ears.
hereIn this place, as in: come here.
hourA stretch of 60 minutes.
knewHad a fact in mind: the past tense of know.
knowTo have a fact in your mind and be sure of it.
meatFood that comes from the body of an animal.
meetTo come together with someone.
newJust made or just bought; not old.
noThe opposite of yes.
oneThe number 1: a single thing.
ourBelonging to us, as in: this is our classroom.
pairTwo things that go together, such as socks.
pearA juicy fruit, round at the bottom and narrow near the stem.
rightCorrect; also the opposite of left.
roadAn open way for cars, trucks and people to travel on.
rodeSat on and traveled: the past tense of ride.
sailA sheet of cloth that catches the wind to move a boat.
saleA time when a store sells things at lower prices.
seaThe salt water that covers much of the Earth.
seeTo notice with your eyes.
someA few, or a part, but not all.
sonA parent's male child.
sumThe answer when you add numbers.
sunThe star that gives the Earth light and heat.
tailThe part at the back end of an animal, such as a dog.
taleA story.
theirBelonging to them, as in: the twins lost their hats.
thereIn that place, as in: put the box over there.
they'reShort for they are.
toToward a place, as in: we walked to school.
tooAlso, or more than enough, as in: the soup is too hot.
twoThe number 2, one more than one.
weakNot strong.
weekA stretch of seven days.
wonCame first in a game or a race: the past tense of win.
woodWhat tree trunks are made of; it is cut into boards.
wouldA helping verb, as in: I would like some water.
writeTo put words on paper.
Harder words 48
allowedLet someone do something; gave permission.
aloudIn a voice that others can hear; not silently.
bareNot covered, as feet are without shoes or socks.
bearA large, heavy animal with thick fur.
boardA long, flat piece of cut wood.
boredTired of something because it is dull.
brakeThe part that slows or stops a bike or a car.
breakTo crack or split into parts; also a short rest.
cerealA breakfast food made from grain; also a grain plant such as wheat.
fairTreating everyone by the same rules; also an event with shows and contests, such as a state fair.
fareThe money paid to ride a bus, train or taxi.
groanA low sound made in pain or to complain.
grownBecome bigger or older: a form of grow.
hairThe fine strands that grow on your head.
hareAn animal like a rabbit, with longer ears and long back legs.
healTo get well again, as a cut does.
heardTook in a sound: the past tense of hear.
heelThe back part of your foot.
herdA group of animals, such as cattle, that stay together.
holeAn empty space dug or cut into something.
knightIn the Middle Ages, a soldier of high rank who fought on horseback in armor.
knotA fastening made by tying rope or string.
madeBuilt or created: the past tense of make.
maidA woman whose job is to clean rooms or a house.
mailLetters and packages sent through the post office.
maleA boy or a man; the opposite of female.
nightThe dark time between sunset and sunrise.
notA word that turns a sentence into a no, as in: I am not tired.
passedWent by; also did well enough on a test: the past tense of pass.
pastThe time that has already gone by.
peaceCalm and quiet; a time with no war.
pieceOne part of something, such as a slice of pie.
plainSimple, with nothing added; also a wide stretch of flat land.
planeA machine with wings that flies; an airplane.
principalThe person who leads a school and its teachers.
principleA basic rule or belief that guides what people do.
serialA story told in parts, one after another.
stairOne step in a set of steps.
stareTo look at something for a long time with wide eyes.
stealTo take what belongs to someone else without asking.
steelA hard, strong metal made from iron and carbon.
throneThe special chair of a king or queen.
thrownSent through the air by hand: a form of throw.
waistThe middle of your body, between the ribs and the hips.
waitTo stay until something happens.
wasteTo use more than is needed; also things thrown away.
weightA measure of how heavy something is.
wholeAll of it, with no part missing.
How it works
Homophone bingo opens on 6 cards of 5 × 5 drawn from 48 easier words, such as to, too and two. A list of 48 harder words, or all 96 together, is one pick away.
Read the full guide
Say the word, then its meaning
In Call the game, each word comes with its meaning: flour, a powder ground from grain and used to bake bread. A player with flower leaves it alone. Call from your own screen, because the caller shows the spelling.
Both spellings are in play
Every word's partner is in the same list, so one card can hold sea, see or both. To check a win, have the player spell each covered word and say what it means.
With 25 cards, a first line usually takes 10 to 18 calls from a list of 48 and 18 to 35 from all 96.
Questions and answers
What is a homophone?
A word that sounds the same as another word but means something else, and may be spelled another way, as hear and here are. Every set on these cards is spelled two or three ways and sounds alike in most accents of English.
Is there a homophone bingo printable?
Yes, and the printable homophone bingo is free: set How many cards to your class size, up to 60, and print them 2 to a page on Letter or A4. Print the call sheet lists every word with its meaning.
Which homophones are on the cards?
47 sets: to, too and two; there, their and they're; and 45 pairs. The easier list has short words such as be and bee or week and weak. The harder list has pairs such as allowed and aloud or principal and principle.