Puns, Homonyms and Homophones for ESL / EFl students

1. Puns
Homonyms and
Homophones
Puns, jokes and word play

2. Puns
homonyms
Words having the same
spelling and pronunciation
but with 2 or more
meanings
e.g. well
homophones
Words having the same
pronunciation but different
meanings or spelling
e.g., new and knew

3. What is a homonym?
homonyms
Words having the same spelling and pronunciation
but with 2 or more meanings
e.g. well
They are used to make puns in many jokes

4. Look at the picture. What is the
homonym?

5. fan

6. What is the homonym?
Why did the teacher
wear sunglasses?
Because his students
were so bright

7. bright
Why did the teacher
wear sunglasses?
Because his students
were so bright

8. What is the homonym?
Why do cows have bells?
Because their horns don’t work.

9. horns
Why do cows have bells?
Because their horns don’t work.

10. What is the homonym?
Why can't a car play football?
Because it's only got one boot

11. boot
Why can't a car play football?
Because it's only got one boot

12. What is the homonym?
Time flies like an arrow
Fruit flies like a banana

13. flies, like
Time flies like an arrow
Fruit flies like a banana

14. What is the homonym?
One day an English
grammar teacher was
looking ill. A student asked,
"What's the matter?"
"Tense," answered the
teacher, describing how he
felt.
The student paused, then
continued, "What was the
matter? What has been the
matter? What might have
been the matter... ?"

15. tense
One day an English
grammar teacher was
looking ill. A student asked,
"What's the matter?"
"Tense," answered the
teacher, describing how he
felt.
The student paused, then
continued, "What was the
matter? What has been the
matter? What might have
been the matter... ?"

16. What is the homonym?
A woman was driving in her
car on a narrow road. She
was knitting at the same
time, so she was driving very
slowly.
A man came up from behind
and he wanted to pass her.
He opened the window and
yelled, "Pull over! Pull over!"
The lady yelled back, "No, a
sweater!"

17. Pull over
A woman was driving in her
car on a narrow road. She
was knitting at the same
time, so she was driving very
slowly.
A man came up from behind
and he wanted to pass her.
He opened the window and
yelled, "Pull over! Pull over!"
The lady yelled back, "No, a
sweater!"

18. What is the pun?

19. dig up (phrasal verb)

20. What is the pun?
1
2
3
4

21. put down (phrasal verb)
1
2
3
4

22. Homophones
Homophones
Words having the same
pronunciation but different
meanings or spelling
e.g., new and knew
They are used to make
puns in many jokes
What are the homophones which make the puns in the
following photos? >

23. What is the homophone?

24. Toad = Towed

25. What is the homophone?

26. i = eye

27. What is the homophone?

28. Horse = Hoarse

29. What is the homophone?

30. Bored = board

31. What is the homophone?

32. Sole = Soul

33. What is the homophone?

34. Paws = pause

35. What is the homophone?

36. A salt = Assault

37. What is the pun?

38. A tack = Attack

39. What is the pun?

40. Intense = In tents

41. What is the pun?
Why will you never starve in
the desert?
Because of all the
sandwiches there

42. sandwiches = sand which is
Why will you never starve in
the desert?
Because of all the
sandwiches there

43. Bad pun – almost a
homophone
Warning!
Really bad joke!
Why does a milking
stool have only three
legs?
Because the cow has
the udder.

44. Bad pun – almost a
homophone
Warning!
Really bad joke!
Why does a milking
stool have only three
legs?
Because the cow has
the udder.
The udder
The other

45. More bad puns

46. More bad puns
Udder = other
Comb hair = come here
Poultry in motion = poetry in
motion
Darth Vader = waiter
Irrelevant = irrelephant
Matters = mattress

47. Find the puns. Are they homonyms
or homophones?
1. It’s not that he didn’t know how to juggle. He just didn’t have the balls to do
it.
2. What do you call a woman who stands between two goal posts? Annette.
3. A bicycle can’t stand on its own. It’s two-tired.
4. Police were called to a kindergarten where a three-year-old was resisting a
rest.
5. A pessimist's blood type is b-negative.
6. I used to be addicted to soap, but I'm clean now.
7. The apple crossed the street because he wanted to get to the other cider the
road.
8. In some conifer forests, you can't cedar wood for the trees.
9. A prisoner's favourite punctuation mark is the period (USA) / full stop (UK). It
marks the end of his sentence.
10. What do you get if you cross a sheep with a kangaroo? A woolly jumper

48. Find the puns. Are they homonyms
or homophones?
1. It’s not that he didn’t know how to juggle. He just didn’t have the balls to do
it. (Have balls = be brave)
2. What do you call a woman who stands between two goal posts? Annette. (=
a net)
3. A bicycle can’t stand on its own. It’s two-tired. (= too)
4. Police were called to a kindergarten where a three-year-old was resisting a
rest. (= arrest)
5. A pessimist's blood type is b-negative. (= be)
6. I used to be addicted to soap, but I'm clean now. (clean = no longer
addicted)
7. The apple crossed the street because he wanted to get to the other cider the
road. (= side o(f) )
8. In some conifer forests, you can't cedar wood for the trees. (= see the)
9. A prisoner's favourite punctuation mark is the period (USA) / full stop (UK). It
marks the end of his sentence. (sentence = time in prison)
10. What do you get if you cross a sheep with a kangaroo? A woolly jumper (=
jersey)

49. The end

50. More homophones
http://www.bifroest.demon.co.uk/misc/homophones.html
More puns
http://www.sillypuns.com/
http://puns.icanhascheezburger.com/