A homonym is a word that sounds the same as another word but has a different meaning. For example, the word "bat" can refer to a flying mammal or a piece of sports equipment used in baseball. Homonyms can create confusion in language, especially in spoken communication, where context is essential for understanding. There are two main types of homonyms: homographs and homophones. Homographs are words that are spelled the same but have different meanings, like "lead" (to guide) and "lead" (a type of metal). Homophones, on the other hand, are words that sound the same but are spelled differently, such as to, too, and two.