34 picture riddles and rebus puzzles with answers

Each picture is made of letters, words and numbers. Where a word sits, how often it repeats and which way it reads spell out a word or phrase. Name it, then reveal the answer.

34 riddles · Picture riddles and rebus puzzles with answers · answers included

Over, under and on

1
Which saying does this picture show?
```
MIND
MATTER
```
easy

Answer
Mind over matter.
MIND is written over MATTER. The saying means your will can win over a physical problem.
2
Why was this person late?
```
I
SLEPT
```
easy

Answer
I overslept.
The letter I sits over the word SLEPT.
3
How do many fairy tales begin?
```
ONCE
A TIME
```
easy

Answer
Once upon a time.
ONCE sits upon A TIME.
4
Which saying does this picture show?
```
BRIDGE
WATER
```
medium

Answer
Water under the bridge.
WATER is under BRIDGE. The saying means an old problem that no longer matters.
5
What kind of spy is this?
```
COVER
AGENT
```
medium

Answer
An undercover agent.
AGENT is under COVER.
6
What do people wear on a very cold day?
```
WEAR
LONG
```
medium

Answer
Long underwear.
LONG is under WEAR.
7
How would you like your eggs cooked?
```
EGGS
EASY
```
medium

Answer
Eggs over easy.
EGGS is over EASY. Eggs over easy are fried on both sides and keep a runny yolk.
8
What is this worker doing wrong?
```
SLEEPING
JOB
```
easy

Answer
Sleeping on the job.
SLEEPING is on top of JOB.
9
How did the train arrive?
```
RIGHT
TIME
```
easy

Answer
Right on time.
RIGHT is on top of TIME.
10
Where is this trip going?
```
TRAVEL
C C C C C
```
hard

Answer
Travel overseas.
TRAVEL is over the C's, and C's sounds like seas: travel over seas.

Inside

11
Who do people say they can see in the night sky?
```
moMANon
```
medium

Answer
The man in the moon.
MAN is inside MOON: MO, then MAN, then ON.
12
Which phrase means that something is very easy?
```
paWALKrk
```
medium

Answer
A walk in the park.
WALK is inside PARK: PA, then WALK, then RK.
13
What do we say about someone who is always daydreaming?
```
cloHEADuds
```
medium

Answer
Their head is in the clouds.
HEAD is inside CLOUDS: CLO, then HEAD, then UDS.
14
What is the best shot in golf?
```
HO1LE
```
easy

Answer
A hole in one.
The number 1 is inside HOLE.
15
Which saying about an important person does this picture show?
```
poFISHnd
```
hard

Answer
A big fish in a small pond.
FISH is in big capital letters inside the word pond, which is written small. The saying means someone who matters a lot in a small group.
16
What do we call two friends who are always together?
```
poPPd
```
medium

Answer
Two peas in a pod.
Two P's, which sound like peas, sit inside POD.

Shapes and lines

17
What kind of meal is this?
```
+------+
| MEAL |
+------+
```
easy

Answer
A square meal.
MEAL is inside a square. A square meal is a full, filling one.
18
What advice does this picture give?
```
+-----+
|     | THINK
+-----+
```
easy

Answer
Think outside the box.
THINK is written outside the box. The saying means look for a new way to solve a problem.
19
What kind of puzzle is this?
```
 W
WORD
 R
 D
```
easy

Answer
A crossword.
Two copies of WORD cross each other at the O.
20
Which phrase means finding a meaning nobody said out loud?
```
R|E|A|D|I|N|G
```
medium

Answer
Reading between the lines.
The letters of READING sit between lines.
21
What are you doing when you avoid saying what you mean?
```
     BEAT
BEAT BUSH BEAT
     BEAT
```
medium

Answer
Beating around the bush.
BEAT is written all around BUSH.

Which way it reads

22
Which part of a city is this?
```
T
O
W
N
```
easy

Answer
Downtown.
TOWN is written going down.
23
Where should you turn your eyes?
```
K
O
O
L
```
easy

Answer
Look up.
LOOK is spelled from the bottom going up.
24
What did the old car's engine just do with a loud bang?
```
ERIF
```
medium

Answer
Backfire.
FIRE is written backward.
25
What happens right before a rocket launch?
```
3
2
1
```
easy

Answer
A countdown.
The numbers count down from 3 to 1, and they run down the page.
26
Which greeting is this?
```
NOON GOOD
```
medium

Answer
Good afternoon.
GOOD comes after NOON.
27
What is for breakfast?
```
GESG
```
easy

Answer
Scrambled eggs.
The letters of EGGS are scrambled.

Counting and sounds

28
How long does this picture say something lasts?
```
EVER EVER
EVER EVER
```
easy

Answer
Forever.
There are four EVERs, and "four ever" sounds like forever.
29
What is this an invitation to?
```
T 4 2
```
medium

Answer
Tea for two.
T sounds like tea, 4 sounds like for and 2 sounds like two.
30
What does this picture warn you about?
```
TROUBLE
TROUBLE
```
easy

Answer
Double trouble.
TROUBLE is written twice, so it is doubled.
31
Which saying about the past is this?
```
HISTORY
HISTORY
HISTORY
```
medium

Answer
History repeats itself.
HISTORY is written again and again: it repeats itself.
32
What is wrong with this person's eyesight?
```
SSEEEEIINNGG
```
easy

Answer
Seeing double.
Every letter of SEEING is written twice.
33
Which perfect place is this?
```
DICE DICE
```
hard

Answer
Paradise.
Two DICE make a pair of dice, which sounds like paradise.
34
Which nursery rhyme is this?
```
MCE MCE MCE
```
hard

Answer
Three blind mice.
There are three MICE, each missing its I, so the mice have no eyes.

Timer and team scores

Seconds per turnTurns in the session

8 turns × 60 seconds = 8 minutes of play, plus instructions and breaks.

Pause whenever the group needs more time.

Teams

Team Lime's turn

Team Lime: 0

Team Violet: 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.

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