1997 MIT Mystery Hunt Puzzle 36 Solution

Each of the clue answers is a word with a homophone (homophones given in parentheses).

Across

PRAISE (PRAYS)
GENES (JEANS)
MOWED (MODE)
NIGHT (KNIGHT)
WAVE (WAIVE)
COARSE (COURSE)
BREWS (BRUISE)
ROTE (WROTE)
SEEN (SCENE)
PLUMB (PLUM)
CORD (CHORD/CORED)
SLOW (SLOE)
SPAYED (SPADE)
MUSSED (MUST)

Down

WINED (WHINED)
SEAS (SEIZE/SEES)
UNDUE (UNDO)
STEAK (STAKE)
LOUPE (LOOP)
ERRED (AIRED)
PIECE (PEACE)
CITES (SITES/SIGHTS)
TOLLED (TOLD)
THRONE (THROWN)
METAL (METTLE/MEDAL)
BASKS (BASQUES)
NOSE (KNOWS)
HOSTEL (HOSTILE)

Um... We Forgot

AIDE (AID)
BELLE (BELL)
ARC (ARK)
BOUGH (BOW)
TEAS (TEASE/TEES)
BOWLED (BOLD)
HURTS (HERTZ)
GROWN (GROAN)
DEW (DUE)
GREATER (GRATER)
EAVE (EVE)
CACHE (CASH)
LOX (LOCKS)
BUST (BUSSED)

Comparing the lengths of the words to the lengths of the spaces in the grid, you can see that neither the original words nor the homophones fit in the grid (even considering that there is one extra word). You have to enter the homophones reading across and the original words reading down, with the "Um... We Forgot" words using whichever is appropriate for the direction they get entered.

BRUISE   GROAN   T
O   T  B R  I CASH
WAIVE CORED D I  R
L   A  U A HERTZ O
EVE KNIGHT O  E  N
D R  O H E S  SLOE
 PRAYS  WROTE  O
  E  E  I  E  MUST
MODE  B N PLUM P O
E   SPADE I N BELL
TEASE S DUE D U  L
A   ARK   COURSE E
LOCKS SCENE E T  D

There is one word left over, GENES/JEANS. It is listed under the Across words, so its homophone, JEANS, is the answer.