1. bases
   basis
2. basses

Players run the "bases," though the word actually comes from the Latin word "basis" meaning "base or pedestal."

1. byte
   bite
2. bight

It's "bight," which comes from the Old English word byht, meaning "bend or angle."

1. you're
   your
2. yore

You're is a contraction that combines the words "you" and "are."

1. rays
   raze
2. raise

To "raze" means to completely destroy. It shares its origin with the word "razor," which makes sense if you think of a razor as a hair bulldozer.

1. new
   knew
2. gnu

"Gnu" is it, even though it doesn't look anything like its homonyms. The word probably comes from the sound the creatures make when they're startled. Who knew?

1. do
   doe
2. dough

The answer is "do." "A deer, a female deer" is actually a "doe" — we're looking at you, "The Sound of Music."

1. cay
   key
2. quay

That would be "quay," a pretty obvious rip-off of the French word quai, which also means wharf.

1. or
   oar
2. ore

The word "oar" has Danish and Norwegian roots. Makes sense — those Vikings sure were into rowing boats!

1. pour
   pore
2. poor

This one's tricky — the answer is "pore." It's tempting to use "pour," but that word is mostly reserved for a stream of liquid.

1. reigns
   rains
2. reins

"Reins" are what you'd need for a horse. This is also the spelling used in the phrase "free rein," which describes a freedom of action.

1. bore
   boar
2. boor

If it's not interesting, it's a "bore." Another homonym for these words is "Boer," a South African of Dutch descent.

1. carat
   caret
2. carrot

It may look a little like a "carrot," but the word for it is "caret."

1. idyll
   idol
2. idle

"Idle" comes from the Old English idel, meaning empty or useless; the Dutch ijdel, meaning vain, frivolous or useless; and the German eitel, meaning bare or worthless. Any way you slice it, the word doesn't seem to be a compliment!

1. there, their, they're
   their, they're, there
2. they're, their, there

The correct order is "they're, their, there." Three in one sentence — that's homonym level: expert.

1. pare
   pair
2. pear

"Pare" comes from the Latin word parare, meaning prepare. Food preparation often involves peeling vegetables or trimming meat, which is why the word "pare" came to mean "reduce."

1. piqued
   peeked
2. peaked

Though your interest in Scottish history may have "peaked" after watching the movie, the word for this phrase is "piqued."

1. preys
   prays
2. praise

"Preys" is the right word here. Interestingly, the other two choices (prays and praise) originate from different Latin words even though they both have religious connotations.

1. write
   right
2. rite

In this case "rite" is right, though the Latin word ritus had more of a religious connotation.

1. rapped
   wrapped
2. rapt

"Rapped" makes sense, because a "rap" is a sharp knock. This is what linguists might call an imitative word, meaning the pronunciation seems to replicate the sound of the action.

1. slew
   slough
2. slue

The past tense is "slew." "Slue" means to turn violently and can also be spelled "slew."

1. turn
   tern
2. terne

A "tern" is a seabird related to gulls. A tern can also be a set of three winning lottery numbers.

1. toad
   toed
2. towed

You could refer to an unlikable person as a "toad" or use the adjective "toadish."

1. to
   two
2. too

"Too" is the best word here and for phrases like "too bad," "too much" and "too far."

1. vane
   vain
2. vein

Veins carry blood back to the heart.

1. wail
   wale
2. whale

A "wail" is a long, high-pitched cry. Poor Fido.

1. horde
   hoard
2. whored

A lot of people is a horde; a lot of things is a hoard.

1. for
   four
2. fore

"Fore" might be a shortening of the term "forecaddie," which was a person who would stand where the ball might land so the golfer didn't lose the ball.

1. sites
   sights
2. cites

This is a tricky one, but "sight" is the best word. Why? Because a "sight" is something a tourist might want to see, and not all "sites" are "sights."

1. air
   heir
2. err

"Err" is the right word. Traditionally, though, "err" rhymed with "her," which means it wouldn't have been a homonym for those other words.

1. palate
   palette
2. pallet

It's spelled "palette" — not to be confused with "palate," which is the roof of the mouth, or "pallet," which is a crude bed.