Synonym is to meaning as homonym is to what?

A synonym is a word that shares a similar meaning with another word, highlighting the relationship between words based on their meanings. In this analogy, a homonym is a word that shares the same sound with another word but has a different meaning. Therefore, the relationship established in the analogy emphasizes that just as synonyms are related through meaning, homonyms are related through their sound.

The correct answer identifies the unique characteristic of homonyms, which is their auditory resemblance rather than any similarity in meaning or origin. The other options do not align with the core distinguishing feature of homonyms; they relate to other aspects of words, such as how they are used or their grammatical features, which do not pertain specifically to the phonetic similarity that defines homonyms.