Have you ever heard a pun that’s so bad it’s brilliantly hilarious? That friend is the power of the punny or in other words a play on words!
Whether you’re trying to break the ice at a work function, create the punniest caption for your Instagram post, or arrive in the best palm-to-the-forehead Halloween costume, these play on words definitions and examples will leave you laughing and inspired.
Get your joke books and prepare your stomach, we’ve got some laughs to cover!
In this article
What is a Play on Words?
First things first, what is a play on words? The simple definition is that it is a funny way of taking a word or phrase and using it in a way that there is more than one meaning present; much like a pun!
For example, let’s say the picture below is a social media post. Pretend that someone took a picture of this cake and then captioned it with “Cake it easy!” We can amusingly see that the word cake is in place of take, and it’s placed there because a delicious cake is in the picture. Voilà , a play on words!
Play on Words Examples
Want to see some more play on words examples? We thought you’d never ask! Take a look at these play on words examples and try not to laugh too hard!
- Someone has been snatching wheels off of cop cars, and cops are working tirelessly to catch them!
- Be positive, no matter watt. (Battery & Lightbulb)
- Everything whale be okay.
- Waddle I do without you? (Penguin)
- Simba was walking too slow so I told him to Mufasa. (The Lion King)
- It was an emotional wedding, why even the cake was in tiers. (Wedding cake)
- Becoming a vegetarian is a big missed steak.
- What do you call a potato with glasses? A spec-tator!
- One can’t run through a campground.You can only ran, because it’s past tents.
- Don’t trust the stairs, because they’re always up to something!
Not enough play on words examples? There’s plenty more where that came from!
Jokes that Play on Words
It’s a blessed day when you can say you got a couple of laughs in, let’s check off today’s laugh count with these jokes that play on words!
- “Ghosts like to ride in elevators because it lifts their spirits!” -Unknown
- “Why does Waldo only wear striped shirts? Because he doesn’t want to be spotted.” -Unknown
- “Before Mount Rushmore was carved, its beauty was unpresideneted.” -Unknown
- “How many tickles does it take to make a squid laugh? Ten–tickles!” -Unknown
- “I pulled a muscle digging for gold. It was a miner injury.” -Unknown
- “What do you get when you cross a snowman and a vampire? Frostbite!” -Unknown
- “What kind of shorts do clouds wear? Thunderwear!” -Unknown
- “What do you call a bee that comes from America? USB.” -Unknown
- “Why couldn’t the pirate learn the alphabet? Because he was always lost at C!” -Unknown
- “What rock group has four men that don’t sing? Mount Rushmore!” -Unknown
Names that are Play on Words
You know those parents were up to something silly when they named their child that. Or perhaps you want to be those said goofy folks, or you’re just plain curious! Deep dive into these names that are play on words and either find yourself thankful or looking up how to legally change your name!
Boy Names that are Play on Words
- Joe King = Joking
- Phoenix Wright = He is right
- Al E.Gater = Alligator
- Justin Thyme = Just in time
- Barry D.Hatchett = Bury the hatchet
- Jack Indabocks = Jack in the Box
- Don Keigh = Donkey
- Arty Fischel = Artificial
- Frank N.Stein = Frankeinstin
- Earl E. Bird = Early Bird
Girl Names that are Play on Words
- Kay Oss = Chaos
- Dinah Mite = Dynamite
- Polly Esther = Polyester
- Mel N.Colley = Melancholy
- Anna May = Anime
- Ida Noe = I don’t know
- Eileen Dover = I leaned over
- Crystal Shanda Leer = Crystal Chandiler
- Doris Shutt = Door is shut
- Misty Meanor = Misdemeanor
Halloween Costumes that Play on Words
It doesn’t feel good when you show up to a costume party and everyone has to ask who you are. Unless, it’s Halloween costumes that play on words, in which case you’re dying for people to ask you what in the world you are! Become inspired for your next best look with these play on words for Halloween costumes.
- Snowman + Vampire = Frostbite (Wear elements of both a snowman and a vampire, ex: scarf, buttons, carrot nose, fangs, and a cape!)
- Lorde + Rings = Lorde of the Rings (Dress like musical artist Lorde and wear plenty of rings!)
- Tea + Rex = TeaRex (Attach a string like one you’d find on a tea bag to a Dinosaur mask)
- Printed Pictures/Screen Shots + Cloud = The Cloud [iPhone storage] (Dress up like a fluffy cloud and tape pictures to your costume)
- Minnie Mouse + M&M’s = Minnie M&M’s (Minnie mouse ears, gloves, and an M&M dress)
- Life + Lemons = When Life Gives You Lemons (Wear a shirt that has the word ‘Life’ on it and carry around some lemons! Bonus, hand the lemons out to people!)
- Duster + Bunny = Dustbunny (Pick out some cute bunny ears, and a cotton tail, and grab yourself a wacky duster to complete the costume.)
- Letters + Bee = Spelling Bee (Put on your best bee costume and tape some letters onto it!)
- Medals + Bread = Bread-winner (Purchase some fake medals to wear around your neck and carry a loaf of bread around with you, easy as that!)
- Pig + Blanket = Pigs in a Blanket (Wear a pig nose, little piggy ears, and don’t forget that curly tail. Then wrap yourself in a blanket!)
Play on Words Farm Names
We’d like to think that Farmer B-I-N-G-O would have a good laugh at these play on words farm names and maybe incorporate some into his next big hit! We know, we were surprised too to find out that Bingo is actually the name of the farmer, not the dog, in the well-known children’s sing-along. You learn something new every day, now let’s learn some play on words farm names!
- Whatever floats your goat!
- “Do you know what they call a cow in an earthquake? A milkshake!” -Unknown
- Hay y’all!
- “What do sheep wear to the beach? A Baakini!” -Unknown
- Sow‘s it going?
- “What do you call a pile of cats? A meowtain!” -Unknown
- What’s quack-a-lackin?
- “What do you call a chicken staring at a lettuce? Chicken sees a salad!” -Unknown
- I’m kind of a pig deal.
- “What did the cow say to the calf? It’s pasture bedtime!” -Unknown
- I herd that!
- “Did you hear about the cow who got stuck when he tried to jump the barbwire fence? It was udder destruction!” -Unknown
- “Gettin’ piggy with it!” -Unknown
- I am not amoosed by this udder nonsense.
- “Do you know what would happen if pigs could fly? Why the price of bacon would skyrocket!” -Unknown
Play on Words with Food
Food is one of the greatest things ever, it’s always there for you! And now it can make you giggle as well, with these play on words with food names that will have you shaking your head and laughing at the same time.
- She believed she could, sushi did
- I ap-peach-iate you!
- Friend-chip goals
- I’m a little chili
- Weir-dough
- Cake it easy!
- You’re my butter half!
- Nothing is impopsicle
- Lettuce celebrate!
- I’m so egg-cited I could egg-splode!
- Romaine calm
- Lettuce pray, and together, we will rice. Ramen.
- You’re one in a melon!
- Have an egg-cellent day!
- You’re a cu-tea!
- That’s what cheese said!
- Don’t go bacon my heart. I couldn’t if I fried.
- Stay up-beet!
- Laugh s’more and mellow out.
- Figgin‘ dope!
Craving some more punny laughs? Get a load of these 93 Witty Play on Words that Sound Clever and you’ll be fully prepared for your next social event. Look out people of earth, we’ve got a punny one here!