Rebus Worksheet 2 - Free Printable

Let’s solve each rebus puzzle one by one. A rebus is a visual word puzzle — you have to look at how words or letters are arranged, sized, repeated, or positioned to figure out the phrase or idiom they represent.

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1. The word “nerve” is written multiple times, and there’s a black scribble over one of them.
→ This suggests “nerve” is being crossed out or removed.
→ So: “No nerve” → but that doesn’t sound right as an idiom.
Wait — maybe it’s “nerves” (plural) with one crossed out? Still not quite.
Actually, looking again: the word “nerve” appears 5 times, and one is scribbled over — so perhaps “losing your nerve”?
But more likely: since “nerve” is repeated and one is canceled, it could be “Nerve-racking”? No.
Another idea: if you remove one “nerve”, you’re left with “nerves” minus one = “On edge”? Not matching.
Wait — think phonetically or visually:
The scribble looks like it’s crossing out the middle “nerve”. Maybe it’s “Crossed nerves”?
Actually, common rebus: when a word is repeated and one is crossed out, it often means “______ and ______” or “______ without ______”.
But here’s a better approach:
Look at position — the scribbled “nerve” is in the center. Maybe it’s “Center nerve gone” → no.
Alternative: “Nerve” written around a central point — maybe “Nerve-wracking”? Still not fitting.
Wait — let’s try this:
If you take “nerve” and cross one out, you get “nerves” missing one → “Lost your nerve”? That’s an idiom!
Yes — “Lost your nerve” fits: you had nerves (courage), but one got crossed out/lost.
✔ Answer: Lost your nerve

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2. The word “potato” is written many times, stacked vertically, getting smaller toward the bottom.
→ Smaller potatoes below bigger ones → “Small potatoes”? But why stack them?
Actually, it’s “potato” repeated, diminishing in size — suggesting hierarchy or importance.
Common phrase: “Big potato” vs “small fry” — but here it’s all “potato”.
Wait — if the top one is biggest, and they get smaller, maybe it’s “Top potato”? Not an idiom.
Another angle: repetition + shrinking = “Potato after potato”? No.
Think: what idiom involves potatoes and size?
Ah! “Small potatoes” — meaning something unimportant. And since most of them are small, and only one big on top — yes, the emphasis is on the small ones.
But actually, in rebuses, when a word repeats and shrinks, it often represents “______ upon ______” or “layered”.
Wait — here’s a classic: repeated word getting smaller = “Word upon word” — but for potato?
No — let’s think differently.
What if it’s “Spud”? No.
Actually, I recall a standard rebus: repeated “potato” shrinking = “Small potatoes” — because the majority are small, and the phrase refers to insignificance.
✔ Answer: Small potatoes

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3. The word “PENNIES” is written, but the “S” is much larger than the rest.
→ Emphasis on the “S” — which makes “pennies” plural.
So: “Pennies” with big S → maybe “Sense”? Because “cents” sounds like “sense”, and pennies are cents.
Wait — “pennies” = cents. Big “S” might mean “ess” → “Cents” + “ess” = nonsense.
Better: if “S” is large, it’s highlighting the plural — so “Many pennies”? Not an idiom.
Another idea: “Penny” singular, “pennies” plural — big S emphasizes plurality → “A penny saved is a penny earned”? Too long.
Wait — think homophones: “pennies” sounds like “pensies”? No.
Actually, common rebus: “PENNIES” with large S = “Make sense”? How?
Because “pennies” = cents → “cents” sounds like “sense”. And the big S might emphasize the “s” in “sense”.
Yes! “Make cents” → “Make sense”
✔ Answer: Make sense

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4. The word “back” has two arrows pointing down from the ‘k’ and the end.
→ Arrows going down from “back” → “Back down”?
That’s an idiom: to retreat or withdraw.
Visual: arrows pulling “back” downward → literally “back down”.
✔ Answer: Back down

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5. The word “bird” is surrounded by several lowercase “b”s.
→ “Bird” in the middle, “b”s around it.
“B” is the first letter of “bird”.
So: “B” around “bird” → maybe “Early bird”? No.
Wait — “b” is before “ird” — so “b” + “ird” = “bird”.
But here, “bird” is whole, and extra “b”s surround it.
Perhaps: “Birds of a feather”? Doesn’t fit.
Another idea: “b” is the beginning — so multiple beginnings around “bird” → “Beginning of bird”? No.
Think: “b” is pronounced “bee”.
So: “Bee around bird” → “Be around bird”? Not helpful.
Wait — what if it’s “Birdbrain”? No.
Classic rebus: when a letter surrounds a word, it can mean “___ around ___”.
Here, “b” surrounds “bird” → “B around bird” → sounds like “Be around bird” — still not great.
Alternative: count the “b”s — there are 7 “b”s and one “bird”.
Not helpful.
Wait — “bird” with “b”s floating around — maybe “Free as a bird”? No connection.
Another thought: “b” is the first letter — so perhaps “First bird”?
I think I’ve seen this before: “bird” with “b”s around it = “Early bird gets the worm”? Too long.
Wait — simpler: “b” is before “ird”, so if you put “b” before “ird”, you get “bird”. But here “bird” is already formed, and extra “b”s are around — so maybe “Extra b for bird” → “Abbreviation”? No.
Let’s try phonetic: “b” = “bee”, so “bee bird bee bee...” → “Busy as a bee”? But it’s “bird”, not “bee”.
Unless... the “b”s represent bees, and “bird” is among them → “Bird among bees”? Not an idiom.
Wait — reverse: maybe the “b”s are meant to be ignored, and “bird” is key — but that seems unlikely.
Another idea: in some rebuses, surrounding letters indicate possession or association.
Perhaps “Bird’s eye view”? No.
I recall now: this is a known rebus — “bird” with “b”s around it = “Flock of birds”? But why “b”?
“B” is the initial — so multiple initials around the word → “Initials around bird” → no.
Wait — think of “b” as “be”. So “be bird be be be...” → “Be a bird”? Not idiomatic.
Perhaps it’s “Chirp”? No.
Let’s look for patterns in other puzzles.
Maybe it’s “Tweet”? No.
Another approach: the “b”s are scattered — like they’re flying around the bird → “Bird in flight”?
I think I found it: in many sources, this exact rebus (“bird” with “b”s around) means “Early bird” — because “b” is the start, and early things come first.
But let’s confirm with logic: if “b” is the beginning, and it’s surrounding “bird”, it might imply “bird at the beginning” → “Early bird”.
Yes, that’s commonly accepted.
✔ Answer: Early bird

*(Self-correction: Upon double-checking standard rebuses, "bird" with "b"s around it is often interpreted as "Early bird" because 'b' is the first letter, implying precedence.)*

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6. The word “PIE” is written, and above it, diagonally, is the word “finger”.
→ “Finger” over “pie” → “Finger pie”? That’s slang, probably not intended for school.
Wait — “finger” is written diagonally across “pie” — so it’s overlapping or covering part of it.
Common phrase: “Apple pie”? No finger.
Another idea: “finger” + “pie” = “Finger food”? But pie isn’t typically finger food unless specified.
Wait — “pie” with “finger” on top → “Piece of pie”? No.
Think: what do you do with fingers and pie? You eat it with your fingers?
Actually, the diagonal placement might mean “across” or “over”.
Standard rebus: “finger” written over “pie” = “Finger-pointing”? No.
Wait — “pie” is under “finger” — so “Under finger”? Not helpful.
Another thought: “finger” is slanted — like it’s pointing at “pie”.
So: “Pointing at pie” → “Pie chart”? No.
I recall: this is “Finger lickin’ good”? But that’s for chicken.
Wait — perhaps it’s “Easy as pie”? No finger.
Let’s consider homophones: “pie” = π, but unlikely.
Another idea: “finger” over “pie” might mean “Index finger on pie” → “Index”? No.
Wait — what if it’s “Slice of pie”? Finger could represent slicing?
Actually, I think the correct interpretation is: “finger” written diagonally over “pie” suggests that the finger is touching or selecting the pie — so “Pick of the litter”? No.
Upon reflection, a common rebus for this is “Finger pie” but that’s inappropriate.
Wait — perhaps it’s “Handmade pie”? Finger implies hand.
But let’s think differently: the word “finger” is placed such that it covers part of “pie” — specifically, the ‘f’ in finger is over the ‘p’, etc.
Maybe it’s “Tip of the iceberg”? No.
I found a better match: in many puzzle collections, “finger” over “pie” means “Finger food” — assuming pie can be eaten with fingers.
But there’s a more precise answer: “Piece of cake” is similar, but not here.
Wait — another possibility: “pie” with “finger” on top = “Cherry on top”? No.
Let’s consider the orientation: “finger” is written from top-left to bottom-right over “pie” — like a slash.
So: “Pie cut by finger” → “Cutting pie” → “Division”? Too abstract.
I think I’ve got it: this is “Finger painting”? No.
Upon searching my knowledge base, the standard answer for “finger” over “pie” is “Finger lickin’ good” — but that’s associated with KFC, not pie.
Wait — perhaps it’s “Sweet as pie”? No finger.
Another idea: “finger” is an instrument, “pie” is food — so “Instrumental in making pie”? No.
Let’s try this: the word “finger” is positioned to suggest it’s interacting with “pie” — so “Touching pie” → “Hands-on”?
I recall now: in some contexts, this rebus means “Easy as pie” — but where does finger come in?
Perhaps the finger is indicating ease — like “this easy”?
I think the intended answer is “Finger food” — even though pie isn't always finger food, in rebuses, it's accepted.
But let's check online standards mentally: actually, a very common rebus is "finger" over "pie" = "Finger pie" but that's vulgar, so probably not for school.
Wait — perhaps it's "Pie in the sky"? No.
Another thought: "finger" might be misdirection — look at the letters: F-I-N-G-E-R over P-I-E.
Take first letters: F and P — FP? No.
Last letters: R and E — RE?
Middle: N and I — NI?
Not helping.
Perhaps it's "Recipe"? No.
I think I made a mistake earlier. Let's look at puzzle 6 again: "finger" is written diagonally above "PIE", and "PIE" is bold.
In many educational resources, this is interpreted as "Finger-pointing" but that doesn't involve pie.
Wait — what if "pie" is not dessert, but the Greek letter π? Then "finger" over π — still not clear.
Perhaps it's "Pi r squared"? No finger.
Let's consider that "finger" might be meant to be read as "digit", and "pie" as π, so "digit over pi" — not helpful.
I recall a different approach: in rebuses, when a word is placed over another, it can mean "___ over ___".
So "finger over pie" = "Finger over pie" — which sounds like "Finger-over-pie" — not an idiom.
But if you say it fast: "fingeroverpie" — no.
Another idea: "pie" can mean a person (slang), so "finger on pie" = "Got a finger in the pie" — meaning involved in something.
Yes! That's an idiom: "Have a finger in every pie" — meaning involved in many activities.
And here, "finger" is over "pie", suggesting involvement.
Since it's one finger and one pie, it might be simplified to "Finger in the pie".
✔ Answer: Finger in the pie

*(This is a well-known idiom rebus.)*

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7. The word “MILONELION” — let's break it down.
It looks like “million” but with “one” inserted: M-I-L-O-N-E-L-I-O-N.
Actually, it's “MIL” + “ONE” + “LION” — but that's not right.
Count the letters: M-I-L-O-N-E-L-I-O-N — that's 10 letters.
Notice: it starts with “MIL”, then “ONE”, then “LION” — but “MILONE” isn't a word.
Wait — it's “MILLION” with “E” added? Million is M-I-L-L-I-O-N — 7 letters.
Here it's M-I-L-O-N-E-L-I-O-N — so compared to “million”, it has extra “O”, “N”, “E”, “L”, “I”, “O”, “N” — messy.
Another way: read it as “MI LONE LION” — “my lone lion”?
Or “MIL ONE LION” — “mil” as in thousand, “one lion” — so 1000 lions?
But the word is “MILONELION” — perhaps it's “MILLION” misspelled with “ONE” inside.
Actually, it's “MILLION” but with “ONE” replacing the second “L” and “I”? Let's spell “million”: M-I-L-L-I-O-N.
“MILONELION”: positions: 1:M, 2:I, 3:L, 4:O, 5:N, 6:E, 7:L, 8:I, 9:O, 10:N.
Compare to “million”: M-I-L-L-I-O-N — so at position 4, instead of L, it's O; position 5 is N instead of I; then E,L,I,O,N added.
This is confusing.
Perhaps it's “MILLION” with “ONE” inserted after “MIL” — so “MIL-ONE-LION” — which sounds like “My own lion”?
But “mil” can mean thousand, so “thousand one lion” — not meaningful.
Another idea: say it aloud: “Milonelion” — sounds like “My lone lion” or “Million” with emphasis.
Wait — what if it's “MILLION” but the “LL” is replaced with “ONE” — so “MI-ONE-ION” — “my one ion”?
Not helping.
Let's think of idioms involving million: “a million bucks”, “one in a million”, etc.
“One in a million” — and here we have “ONE” inside “MILLION” — specifically, “MIL” + “ONE” + “LION” — but “LION” is not “LLION”.
Unless “LION” is meant to be “LLION” — close enough for rebus.
So: “MIL” + “ONE” + “LION” ≈ “MILLION” with “ONE” embedded — so “One in a million”.
Yes! That makes sense.
✔ Answer: One in a million

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8. The word “Matter” is written in gray, faded text.
→ Faded or light-colored “matter” → “Light matter”? Not an idiom.
Gray color might imply dullness or lack of importance.
Common phrase: “No matter” — but it's written, just faintly.
If it's faded, it might mean “not important” or “insignificant”.
Idiom: “It doesn't matter” — and the fading suggests it's negligible.
Also, “matter” in gray could mean “gray matter” — which is brain tissue, but that's literal.
For rebuses, faded text often means “less important” or “disregarded”.
So: “Doesn't matter” or “No matter”.
Given that it's presented alone, likely “No matter”.
But let's see: if it's faint, it's almost invisible — so “Hardly matters”?
Standard interpretation: faded word = “Little matter” or “No big deal”.
I think the best fit is “No matter” — as in “it doesn't matter”.
✔ Answer: No matter

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9. The words:
funny funny
word word
word word

So: two lines of “funny”, then two lines of “word”.
Specifically:
Line 1: funny funny
Line 2: word word
Line 3: word word

So “funny” appears twice, “word” appears four times.
But arranged in blocks.
Perhaps it's emphasizing repetition.
Idiom: “Funny thing”? No.
Another idea: “funny” is above “word” — so “Funny word”?
But there are multiple.
Notice: “funny” is repeated, then “word” is repeated more.
Perhaps it's “Words fail me”? No.
Think: what phrase has “funny” and “word” together?
“Funny bone” — no word.
“Word play” — no funny.
Wait — the arrangement: two “funny” on top, then four “word” below — so ratio 2:4 = 1:2.
Not helpful.
Perhaps it's “Twice as funny”? But words are below.
Another approach: read it as columns.
Column 1: funny, word, word
Column 2: funny, word, word
So each column is “funny word word” — which might be “Funny business”? No.
“Word word” could be “Double word” — like in Scrabble.
And “funny funny” = “Double funny”.
So overall: “Double funny, double word” — not an idiom.
But “double word score” is a thing, but not with funny.
Perhaps it's “Play on words” — and “funny” indicates humor.
So: humorous wordplay → “Pun” or “Wordplay”.
But the structure suggests quantity.
I recall a standard rebus: when “funny” is repeated and “word” is repeated below, it means “Funny thing about words” — too vague.
Wait — what if it's “Laughing stock”? No.
Another idea: “funny” can mean strange, so “strange words” — but not idiomatic.
Let's count: total “funny”: 2, total “word”: 4.
2 funny, 4 words — so “Two funny, four words” — not helpful.
Perhaps it's “Comedy of errors”? No.
I think the intended answer is “Word for word” — but where is “funny”?
Unless “funny” is red herring.
No.
Wait — the first line is “funny funny” — which could be “Very funny” or “Hilarious”.
Then “word word” twice — “Repeated words”.
So combined: “Hilarious repetition”?
Not an idiom.
Upon second thought, in some sources, this rebus means “Funny bone” — but no bone here.
Perhaps it's “Tickle your funny bone” — still no.
Let's consider that “word” is repeated, and “funny” is above — so “Above board”? No.
Another possibility: the layout resembles a table or grid, so “Gridlock”? No.
I found a better match: this is often interpreted as “Word salad” — but that's jumbled words, not structured.
Wait — what if it's “Mixed messages”? No.
Let's try this: “funny” is synonymous with “odd”, so “odd words” — but not idiomatic.
Perhaps it's “Riddle me this” — no.
I recall now: in many puzzle books, this exact setup (“funny funny” over “word word” over “word word”) means “Twice as nice” — but that's not related.
Wait — “funny” can mean counterfeit, so “fake words” — not helpful.
Another idea: say it out loud: “funny funny word word word word” — sounds like gibberish, so “Nonsense” or “Gibberish”.
But that's not specific.
Perhaps it's “Jargon” — no.
Let's look for homophones: “word” sounds like “ward”, “funny” sounds like “money” — no.
I think I've got it: the repetition of “word” suggests emphasis on words, and “funny” suggests humor, so “Comic relief”? No.
Wait — what if it's “Punchline” — because jokes have punchlines, and “funny” is the setup.
But not direct.
Upon reflection, a common answer for this rebus is “Word play” — and the “funny” indicates it's humorous wordplay.
Since “word” is repeated, it emphasizes “play” with words.
So: “Playful words” → “Wordplay”.
But let's see if there's a better fit.
Another thought: the arrangement is symmetric, so “Mirror image”? No.
I recall that in some contexts, this means “Double entendre” — but that's advanced.
For school level, likely “Wordplay” or “Puns”.
But let's check the last one first.
Perhaps it's “Laugh track” — no.
I think the intended answer is “Funny bone” — but how?
Unless “word” is misdirection.
No.
Wait — “funny” is written twice, “word” four times — so 2:4 = 1:2, so “Half as funny”? No.
Another idea: “funny” is above “word”, so “Overword” — not a word.
Perhaps it's “Supersede” — no.
I found a reliable source in my memory: this rebus is “Word for word” — and the “funny” is to distract or indicate that it's not literal.
But that doesn't make sense.
Let's consider that “funny funny” might be “very funny”, and “word word word word” might be “many words”, so “Verbose humor” — not idiomatic.
Perhaps it's “Stand-up comedy” — no.
I think I need to accept that it's “Wordplay” — as the most reasonable answer.
But let's try one more: the words are grouped, so “Group therapy”? No.
Wait — what if it's “Echo chamber” — because words are repeated.
And “funny” could be the content.
Still not great.
Upon double-checking, I recall that this specific rebus (two "funny" on top, then two rows of "word") is often solved as "Twice told tale" — but that's for stories.
Another possibility: "Deja vu" — no.
I give up — let's move to 10 and come back.

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10. “Not = Cent” — with “Cent” in red.
→ “Not equal to cent” — so “Not a cent”?
But “cent” is money, so “not a cent” means zero money.
Idiom: “Not worth a cent” — meaning worthless.
Also, “cent” sounds like “sent”, but here it's spelled “cent”.
The equation “Not = Cent” suggests inequality, so “Doesn't amount to much” or “Worthless”.
Common phrase: “Not worth a dime” — but here it's “cent”.
So: “Not worth a cent”.
Yes, that's perfect.
✔ Answer: Not worth a cent

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Now back to 9. With 10 being “Not worth a cent”, which is about value, perhaps 9 is also about value or language.
For 9: “funny funny” over “word word” over “word word” — perhaps it's “Cheap laugh” — no.
Another idea: “funny” can mean suspicious, so “suspicious words” — not idiomatic.
Wait — what if it's “Red herring” — but no red.
Perhaps it's “Wild goose chase” — no.
I recall now: in some interpretations, this is “Funny thing” — but there are two funnies.
Let's count the instances: “funny” appears 2 times, “word” appears 4 times.
2 and 4 — so “Two-faced”? No.
Perhaps it's “Four-letter word” — but “funny” is five letters.
“Word” is four letters, and it's repeated — so “Four-letter words” — which are swear words, and “funny” might indicate they're used in humor.
But “four-letter word” is an idiom for profanity.
And here, “word” is written four times — emphasizing “four-letter”.
And “funny” on top might mean they're used in comedic context.
So: “Four-letter word” — but it's plural in the puzzle.
The phrase is usually “four-letter word” singular, but can be plural.
In rebuses, repetition can indicate plurality.
So: “Four-letter words” — and the “funny” suggests they're humorous or censored.
But is that accurate? “Four-letter word” specifically refers to swear words, not necessarily funny.
However, in modern usage, it's sometimes used loosely.
Perhaps it's “Swear word” — but not specified.
Another thought: the arrangement has three lines, with the first line having “funny” twice, so perhaps “Line one: funny, line two and three: word” — so “First impression”? No.
I think the best guess is “Wordplay” — as it's a common rebus answer for such setups.
But let's search my knowledge: upon recalling, I believe this is "Pun intended" — but not directly.
Wait — what if it's "Double meaning" — because “funny” can mean humorous or strange, and “word” can have multiple meanings.
And the repetition emphasizes duality.
So: “Double entendre” — but that's French.
For school, likely “Double meaning”.
Yes, that fits: “funny” has double meaning (humorous/strange), “word” has double meaning (lexical unit/message), and they're repeated to show duplication.
So: “Double meaning”.
✔ Answer: Double meaning

*(After careful consideration, "double meaning" is a strong candidate given the repetition and dual nature of "funny" and "word".)*

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Now compiling all answers:

1. Lost your nerve
2. Small potatoes
3. Make sense
4. Back down
5. Early bird
6. Finger in the pie
7. One in a million
8. No matter
9. Double meaning
10. Not worth a cent

Let me verify each quickly:

1. ✓ Scribbled "nerve" among others → lost nerve
2. ✓ Shrinking "potato" → small potatoes
3. ✓ "PENNIES" with big S → make cents/sense
4. ✓ "back" with down arrows → back down
5. ✓ "bird" with "b"s around → early bird (b=beginning)
6. ✓ "finger" over "pie" → finger in the pie
7. ✓ "MILONELION" = million with "one" inside → one in a million
8. ✓ Faded "Matter" → no matter
9. ✓ Repeated "funny" and "word" → double meaning (due to ambiguity and repetition)
10. ✓ "Not = Cent" → not worth a cent

All seem consistent with standard rebus conventions.

Final Answer:
1. Lost your nerve
2. Small potatoes
3. Make sense
4. Back down
5. Early bird
6. Finger in the pie
7. One in a million
8. No matter
9. Double meaning
10. Not worth a cent