RIDDLES - ESL worksheet by helen_vin - Free Printable

Let’s solve this riddle matching task step by step.

We are given 10 riddles (questions) and we need to match each with the correct answer from the pictures shown around them. The answers are represented by simple drawings — so we’ll figure out what each drawing stands for, then match it to the right question.

First, let’s list all the drawings and guess what they represent:

1. A slice of cheese → “cheese”
2. A hot dog → “hot dog”
3. A rotary phone → “phone” or “telephone”
4. A smiling face with big teeth → maybe “smile” or “teeth”? But wait — look at question #6: “What has teeth but can’t bite?” That might be a comb! And there’s a picture of combs at the bottom left.
5. Raindrops falling → “rain”
6. A mushroom → “mushroom”
7. A letter “B” with legs running → “bee” (sounds like B)
8. A blackboard with a kid writing → “classroom”? Or maybe “blackboard”? But question #8 says: “What kind of room has no walls, no floor and no ceiling?” That sounds like a “mushroom” — because “mush-room” is a play on words!
Wait — let’s go one by one carefully.

Actually, let’s write down the questions first and think about their classic riddle answers:

---

Question 1: What can get bigger without getting heavier?
→ Classic answer: A hole. When you dig a hole, it gets bigger but doesn’t weigh more.
But do we have a picture of a hole? Not directly… Wait — maybe not. Let’s hold that thought.

Wait — another common answer: Shadow? No shadow picture.
Or balloon? No balloon.
Hmm. Maybe I should look at the pictures again.

Pictures available (from top to bottom, left to right):

- Cheese wedge
- Hot dog
- Rotary phone
- Smiling face (grinning mouth)
- Blackboard with child
- Letter “B” with legs (running B)
- Combs (two combs)
- Raindrops
- Mushroom

That’s 9 pictures? Wait — count again:

Top row: cheese, hot dog → 2
Middle: phone, smiley face → 2
Bottom: blackboard, combs, raindrops, mushroom, running B → 5
Total = 9? But we have 10 questions. Oh — maybe the “smiley face” is not an answer — or perhaps I missed one.

Wait — looking back at the image description: There’s also a piece of paper with scribbles? On the left side, below the cheese — looks like a note or letter? Maybe that’s “letter”?

And the running “B” — that’s definitely “bee”.

Let me list possible answer matches based on classic riddles:

---

Q1: What can get bigger without getting heavier?
→ Answer: A hole — but no hole picture.
Alternative: Your age? No.
Wait — another classic: A shadow — still no.
Hold on — maybe it’s “a balloon”? Still no.
Perhaps I’m overcomplicating. Let’s skip and come back.

---

Q2: What travels round the world but always stays in the same corner?
→ Classic answer: A stamp (on a letter).
Do we have a stamp? Look — there’s a piece of paper with writing and a small square that looks like a stamp! Yes — on the left, below the cheese, there’s a letter/envelope with a stamp-like box. So that’s probably “stamp”.

So Q2 → Stamp

---

Q3: What is black when it’s clean and white when it’s dirty?
→ Classic answer: A chalkboard (or blackboard). When clean, it’s black; when used with chalk, it gets white marks.
There’s a picture of a blackboard with a kid writing on it → perfect match.

So Q3 → Blackboard

---

Q4: What falls but never gets hurt?
→ Classic answer: Rain (raindrops fall from sky, don’t get hurt).
There’s a picture of raindrops → yes!

So Q4 → Rain

---

Q5: What doesn’t ask questions but often needs to be answered?
→ Classic answer: A telephone (it rings, you answer it).
There’s a rotary phone → perfect.

So Q5 → Phone

---

Q6: What has teeth but can’t bite?
→ Classic answer: A comb (has teeth, but doesn’t bite).
There’s a picture of two combs → yes!

So Q6 → Comb

---

Q7: What kind of dog has no tail?
→ Pun answer: A hot dog (it’s not a real dog, and usually served without a tail!).
There’s a hot dog picture → yes!

So Q7 → Hot dog

---

Q8: What kind of room has no walls, no floor and no ceiling?
→ Pun answer: A mushroom (“mush-room”) — plays on the word “room”.
There’s a mushroom picture → yes!

So Q8 → Mushroom

---

Q9: What is the longest word in the English language?
→ Trick answer: “Smiles” — because there’s a mile between the first and last letter!
Is there a picture for that? We have a smiling face → which could represent “smiles”.

Yes — the grinning mouth/smiley face → represents “smiles”.

So Q9 → Smiles (represented by smiley face)

---

Q10: What makes a road broad?
→ Pun answer: The letter “B” — because if you add “B” to “road”, you get “broad”.
There’s a picture of the letter “B” with legs running → that’s clearly “B”.

So Q10 → B

---

Now back to Q1: What can get bigger without getting heavier?
We’ve used: stamp, blackboard, rain, phone, comb, hot dog, mushroom, smiles, B → that’s 9.

Leftover picture: Cheese wedge

Does cheese fit Q1? Not really.

Wait — did we miss a picture? Earlier I thought there was a “hole” or something else.

Wait — let’s recount the pictures from the original image description:

From your initial description:

Images include:
- Cheese
- Hot dog
- Phone
- Smiley face
- Blackboard
- Running B
- Combs
- Raindrops
- Mushroom
- And... a piece of paper with scribbles? You mentioned: “a piece of paper with ‘own own own’ written” — that might be “letter” or “note”?

But we already used “stamp” for Q2 — which came from that paper/letter image.

Wait — perhaps the cheese is for Q1?

Another classic riddle: “What gets bigger when you take away from it?” → Answer: A hole. But again, no hole.

Wait — here’s a different idea: “Your appetite”? No.

Wait — let’s think differently. Maybe Q1’s answer is “a balloon” — but no balloon.

Hold on — perhaps I made a mistake.

Let’s list all 10 questions and assign answers we’re sure of:

Q2 → Stamp (from letter/stamp image)
Q3 → Blackboard
Q4 → Rain
Q5 → Phone
Q6 → Comb
Q7 → Hot dog
Q8 → Mushroom
Q9 → Smiles (smiley face)
Q10 → B (running B)

That’s 9.

Left: Q1 and one picture: Cheese.

Is there a riddle where cheese is the answer?

“What can get bigger without getting heavier?” — if you eat cheese, you get bigger? No, that doesn’t make sense.

Wait — another possibility: “A shadow” — but no shadow.

Perhaps the cheese is a red herring? Or maybe I misassigned.

Wait — let’s check online or recall: Is there a riddle “What can get bigger without getting heavier?” with answer “cheese”? Unlikely.

Alternative approach: Maybe the cheese represents “hole” — because Swiss cheese has holes? And when you eat the cheese, the hole gets bigger? But that’s stretching.

Wait — here’s a better idea: Perhaps the answer to Q1 is “a hole”, and the cheese is just decorative? But the instruction says “put them with the correct questions” — implying each picture is an answer.

Count the pictures again from your description:

You listed:

- Cheese
- Hot dog
- Phone
- Smiley face
- Blackboard
- Running B
- Combs
- Raindrops
- Mushroom
- And the letter/stamp thing — that’s 10!

Yes! The “piece of paper with scribbles and a stamp” is one item — that’s for Q2 (stamp).

Then cheese is separate.

So pictures are:

1. Cheese
2. Hot dog
3. Phone
4. Smiley face
5. Blackboard
6. Running B
7. Combs
8. Raindrops
9. Mushroom
10. Letter/stamp (for Q2)

So all 10 are accounted for.

Now, for Q1: What can get bigger without getting heavier?

If we have to use cheese — what could it mean?

Another classic riddle: “What grows when it eats, but dies when it drinks?” → Fire. Not relevant.

Wait — perhaps it’s “your waistline”? No.

I recall now: There’s a riddle: “What can increase in size without gaining weight?” Answer: A hole — as you dig, it gets bigger but the dirt is removed, so weight doesn’t increase.

But how does cheese relate? Unless the cheese is meant to represent “hole” because of its holes? That’s weak.

Wait — let’s look at Q1 again. Maybe the answer is “a balloon” — but no balloon.

Perhaps I have a mistake in assignment.

Let’s try assigning cheese to Q1 and see if it fits any other way.

Another thought: In some contexts, “cheese” can mean “to smile” (say cheese!), but we already have smiley face for Q9.

No.

Wait — here’s a breakthrough: Perhaps the answer to Q1 is “a shadow”, and the cheese is not an answer — but that can’t be.

Let’s search my memory: Is there a riddle where the answer is “cheese”?

Not that I know for Q1.

Perhaps the cheese is for a different question.

Let’s list all questions and possible answers again:

Q1: ?
Q2: stamp
Q3: blackboard
Q4: rain
Q5: phone
Q6: comb
Q7: hot dog
Q8: mushroom
Q9: smiles
Q10: B

Only Q1 left, and only cheese left.

Unless... is there a riddle: "What has holes but holds water?" → Sponge. Not cheese.

Wait — perhaps the answer to Q1 is "a balloon", and the cheese is a distractor? But the worksheet says "put them with the correct questions", implying all pictures are used.

Another idea: Maybe "cheese" is for Q1 because when you grate cheese, it gets bigger in volume but not heavier? No, weight is the same.

I think I found it: Upon second thought, there's a riddle: "What can get bigger without getting heavier?" and the answer is "your knowledge" or "your mind", but no picture for that.

Perhaps in this context, the cheese is meant to be "hole" — and we accept that.

But let's double-check Q9: "What is the longest word in the English language?" — answer "smiles" because of the mile between s and s. The smiley face represents "smiles" — that's solid.

Q10: "What makes a road broad?" — adding "B" — running B — solid.

Q8: mushroom for "mush-room" — solid.

Q7: hot dog for "dog with no tail" — solid.

Q6: comb for "teeth but can't bite" — solid.

Q5: phone for "doesn't ask questions but needs to be answered" — solid.

Q4: rain for "falls but never gets hurt" — solid.

Q3: blackboard for "black when clean, white when dirty" — solid.

Q2: stamp for "travels round the world but stays in corner" — solid.

So only Q1 and cheese left.

Perhaps the answer to Q1 is "a hole", and the cheese is illustrating a hole (Swiss cheese), so we'll go with that.

In many worksheets, they use Swiss cheese to represent "hole" for this riddle.

So I'll assign:

Q1 → Cheese (representing "hole")

Even though it's a bit indirect, it's the only logical choice left.

So final matches:

1) Q: What can get bigger without getting heavier? → A: Hole (represented by cheese)
2) Q: What travels round the world but always stays in the same corner? → A: Stamp
3) Q: What is black when it’s clean and white when it’s dirty? → A: Blackboard
4) Q: What falls but never gets hurt? → A: Rain
5) Q: What doesn’t ask questions but often needs to be answered? → A: Phone
6) Q: What has teeth but can’t bite? → A: Comb
7) Q: What kind of dog has no tail? → A: Hot dog
8) Q: What kind of room has no walls, no floor and no ceiling? → A: Mushroom
9) Q: What is the longest word in the English language? → A: Smiles
10) Q: What makes a road broad? → A: B

Now, to write the answers as per the format.

Final Answer:
1) Hole
2) Stamp
3) Blackboard
4) Rain
5) Phone
6) Comb
7) Hot dog
8) Mushroom
9) Smiles
10) B