82 funny riddles with answers
Riddles whose answers are puns and jokes, grouped by topic. The easy ones suit young kids and the last set is for adults. Reveal one punchline at a time or print the set with answers.
Updated
Everyday things
Why did the picture go to jail?
easy
It was framed.
"Framed" means put in a frame, and also made to look guilty of a crime.
Why can't you trust a staircase?
medium
It's always up to something.
"Up to something" means planning mischief, and a staircase really does lead up to something.
Why did the robber take a bath?
medium
He wanted to make a clean getaway.
A "clean getaway" is an escape without being caught. The bath makes it clean for real.
Why did the man keep his money in the freezer?
medium
He wanted cold, hard cash.
"Cold, hard cash" means real money in your hand. The freezer makes it cold and hard for real.
What do you call a train loaded with bubblegum?
easy
A chew-chew train.
"Chew-chew" sounds like "choo-choo," the sound a train makes.
What do you call a can opener that doesn't work?
easy
A can't opener.
Change "can" to "can't" and the name says it will not open anything.
What does a house wear?
medium
Address.
"Address" sounds like "a dress," and every house has an address.
What kind of shoes do ninjas wear?
easy
Sneakers.
Ninjas sneak around, and sneakers are soft sports shoes.
What did the carpet say to the floor?
easy
Don't worry, I've got you covered.
"I've got you covered" means "I'll look after you," and a carpet really does cover the floor.
What did the sock say to the foot?
medium
You're putting me on!
"Putting me on" means joking with me, and you really do put a sock on your foot.
What did the hat say to the scarf?
medium
You hang around. I'll go on ahead.
A scarf hangs around your neck, and a hat goes on your head: "on ahead" sounds like "on a head."
Why did the phone wear glasses?
easy
It lost its contacts.
Contacts are the people saved in a phone, and also lenses that some people wear instead of glasses.
Why did the scissors win the race?
easy
They took a shortcut.
A shortcut is a quicker way to go, and scissors make short cuts.
Why did the worker put a clock under her desk?
medium
She wanted to work overtime.
Overtime means extra working hours, and her desk, where she works, sits over the clock.
What did one toilet say to the other toilet?
easy
You look a bit flushed.
Looking "flushed" means looking red in the face, and toilets flush.
Nature and space
What did the tree say to the wind?
easy
Leaf me alone.
"Leaf" sounds like "leave."
What do you call a funny mountain?
easy
Hill-arious.
"Hill-arious" sounds like "hilarious," and a hill is a small mountain.
What did the beach say when the tide finally came in?
medium
Long time, no sea.
"Long time, no see" is what you say to someone you missed, and the sea had been away.
Why did the cloud stay home?
easy
It was feeling under the weather.
"Under the weather" means a little sick, and a cloud is part of the weather.
What does a cloud wear under its raincoat?
easy
Thunderwear.
"Thunderwear" sounds like "underwear," and clouds bring thunder.
Why did the tree go to the dentist?
medium
It needed a root canal.
A root canal is a dental treatment, and trees have roots.
What did one volcano say to the other volcano?
easy
I lava you.
"Lava" sounds like "love," and volcanoes pour out lava.
How do you throw a party in space?
easy
You planet.
"Planet" sounds like "plan it."
Animals
What do you call a bear caught in the rain?
easy
A drizzly bear.
"Drizzly" (light rain) sounds like "grizzly."
What do you call a sleeping bull?
medium
A bulldozer.
A dozing bull is a "bull dozer," and a bulldozer is also a big digging machine.
Why could the leopard never win at hide-and-seek?
easy
It was always spotted.
Leopards are covered in spots, and "spotted" also means seen.
What part of a fish weighs the most?
medium
The scales.
Fish are covered in scales, and scales are also what you weigh things on.
Why do cows wear bells?
medium
Their horns don't work.
Cows have horns on their heads, but not the kind you honk.
What do you call an owl that does magic tricks?
hard
Hoo-dini.
Owls say "hoo," and Houdini was a famous magician and escape artist.
Why don't elephants use computers?
easy
They're scared of the mouse.
The old story says elephants fear mice, and a computer has a mouse.
What do you call a snake that builds houses?
medium
A boa constructor.
A boa constrictor is a big snake, and a constructor is a builder.
How do bees brush their hair?
easy
With honeycombs.
A honeycomb is the wax home where bees keep honey, and a comb brushes hair.
What do you call a group of whales that play music?
medium
An orca-stra.
"Orca-stra" sounds like "orchestra," and an orca is a kind of whale.
Why don't you ever see hippos hiding in trees?
easy
They're really good at it.
The joke takes the question at its word: if you never see them, they must be hiding well.
Why do lions eat their meat raw?
easy
They never learned to cook.
The real reason is that wild animals don't cook; the joke pretends it's a missing skill.
Food
What do you call a peanut in a spacesuit?
easy
An astro-nut.
"Astro-nut" sounds like "astronaut."
What do you call a sad strawberry?
easy
A blueberry.
"Blue" also means sad.
What kind of shoes do bananas wear?
easy
Slippers.
Slippers are soft house shoes, and banana peels are famously slippery.
Which keys are the tastiest?
easy
Cookies.
Cookies ends with a sound like "keys," but you eat them instead of opening doors with them.
What did the hamburger name its daughter?
easy
Patty.
Patty is a girl's name, and a patty is the round piece of meat in a burger.
What did the baby corn say to the mama corn?
easy
Where's Pop-corn?
"Pop" is a name for a dad, and popcorn is corn that pops.
What do you give a lemon that feels sick?
easy
Lemon aid.
"Lemon aid" sounds like "lemonade," and aid means help.
Sports
Why did the soccer player bring string to the game?
easy
To tie the score.
A tie is an equal score, and you also tie string in a knot.
Why did the stadium get so hot after the game?
medium
All the fans left.
Fans are the people who cheer, and fans are also machines that cool the air.
Why was the tennis court so loud?
medium
Everyone was making a racket.
A racket is a loud noise, and it is also the bat you hit a tennis ball with.
Why is a baseball team like a pancake?
medium
They both need a good batter.
A batter is the player who hits, and batter is also the mix pancakes are made from.
What do you call a pig that plays basketball?
easy
A ball hog.
A ball hog is a player who never passes, and a hog is a pig.
Why are frogs good at baseball?
easy
They catch lots of flies.
In baseball a fly is a ball hit high in the air, and frogs catch flies to eat.
Trick questions
What can you put in a bucket to make it lighter?
medium
A hole.
Cutting a hole takes away part of the bucket, and whatever is inside leaks out.
An electric train heads north while the wind blows south. Which way does the smoke go?
medium
There is no smoke.
Electric trains don't burn fuel, so they make no smoke. The wind is there to distract you.
How many eggs can you eat on an empty stomach?
medium
One. After that, your stomach isn't empty.
Only the first egg goes into an empty stomach.
You have three oranges in one hand and four oranges in the other. What do you have?
easy
Very big hands.
You expect to add them up to seven, but holding that many oranges takes huge hands.
How do you put a giraffe into a refrigerator?
easy
Open the door, put the giraffe in and close the door.
You expect a clever trick, but the answer is just the three plain steps.
How can a leopard change its spots?
medium
By moving from one spot to another.
The saying claims a leopard can't change its spots, but "spot" also means a place.
What is the easiest way to double your money?
medium
Fold it in half and put it back in your pocket.
Folding a bill makes it double, but only in thickness.
Name jokes
What do you call a man floating in the sea?
easy
Bob.
To "bob" means to float up and down in water.
What do you call a man lying on your front doorstep?
easy
Matt.
Matt sounds like mat, the doormat people wipe their feet on.
What do you call a woman standing between two goalposts?
medium
Annette.
Annette sounds like "a net," which hangs between the goalposts.
What do you call a man lying in a pile of leaves?
medium
Russell.
Russell sounds like "rustle," the sound dry leaves make.
What do you call a man with a seagull on his head?
medium
Cliff.
Seagulls like to perch on cliffs.
What do you call a woman who climbs up walls?
easy
Ivy.
Ivy is a plant that climbs up walls.
What do you call a man who owes you money?
easy
Bill.
A bill is a note that says how much money someone owes.
What do you call a woman with a turtle on her head?
easy
Shelly.
Shelly sounds like "shell-y," and a turtle carries a shell.
What do you call a man with a rabbit on his head?
medium
Warren.
A warren is the group of tunnels where rabbits live.
For adults
What do you call a factory that makes products that are just okay?
medium
A satisfactory.
Satisfactory means acceptable, and the word ends in "factory."
Why are elevator jokes so good?
medium
They work on so many levels.
A joke that "works on many levels" is clever in more than one way, and elevators travel between levels.
Why did the invisible man turn down the job offer?
hard
He couldn't see himself doing it.
If you "can't see yourself" doing a job, you can't imagine it. An invisible man can't see himself at all.
Why did the scarecrow win an award?
medium
He was outstanding in his field.
"Outstanding in his field" means excellent at his work, and a scarecrow stands out in a field.
Why did the coffee call the police?
easy
It got mugged.
To be mugged is to be robbed, and coffee is served in a mug.
What do you call a line of people waiting for a haircut?
hard
A barberqueue.
A queue is a line. Barber plus queue sounds like "barbecue."
What do you call a pencil with an eraser at both ends?
medium
Pointless.
It has no sharp point to write with, and "pointless" also means useless.
Why do actors tell each other to break a leg?
hard
Every play has a cast.
A cast is the group of actors in a play, and also the hard wrap put on a broken leg.
What did the drummer name his twin daughters?
hard
Anna One and Anna Two.
Musicians count a band in with "a-one, a-two."
How does the moon cut its hair?
hard
Eclipse it.
"Eclipse it" sounds like "he clips it," and an eclipse is when the moon blocks the sun.
Which book is impossible to put down?
medium
A book about anti-gravity.
A book you "can't put down" is too good to stop reading. Anti-gravity would keep it floating up.
Why do seagulls fly over the sea?
hard
If they flew over the bay, they'd be bagels.
Over the bay they would be "bay gulls," which sounds like "bagels."
What did the buffalo say when his son left for college?
hard
Bison.
"Bison" sounds like "bye, son."
Why was the baker always rich?
medium
He made a lot of dough.
Dough is what bread is made from, and "dough" is also slang for money.
Why do cows have hooves instead of feet?
hard
They lactose.
"Lactose" (the sugar in milk) sounds like "lack toes."
What do you call a fish wearing a bow tie?
medium
Sofishticated.
"Sofishticated" sounds like "sophisticated," which is how a bow tie looks.
What do lawyers wear to court?
medium
Lawsuits.
A lawsuit is a court case, and a suit is also what people wear to look formal.
What's the best way to watch a fishing contest?
medium
Live stream.
A live stream is a video shown as it happens, and fish live in a stream.
Plan the round and team scores
8 turns × 60 seconds = 8 minutes of play, plus instructions and breaks.
60
These are adjustable house rules. Pause whenever the group needs more time.
Team 1: 0
Team 2: 0
Use this set with a group
Read a prompt, allow thinking time, then invite an answer or a pass. For a timed round, choose a turn length before starting. A host can keep the printed answers out of view until the round ends.