335 Planet & Space Riddles With Answers
Riddles about planets, moons, stars and the space between them. Space is unusually good riddle material because its facts are already strange enough to sound like puzzles.
These work well alongside a space topic in a classroom. Every riddle here has its answer on the page.
A man walked in to a bar and asked for a glass of water the bar man took out a gun and poined it at him the man who asked for the glass of water just smiled and walked away happy Why?
A sudden scare, even from a gun, is a classic remedy people use to stop hiccups.
Farmer Brown came to town with some watermelons. He sold half of them plus half a melon, and found that he had one whole melon left. How many melons did he take to town?
Work backward from the one melon left, adding back what was sold, including the half-melon.
When are eyes not eyes?
This is a play on 'eyes' sounding like the pronoun 'ayes', and tearing up in the wind.
What does a stone become when in the water?
This is a homophone pun: a "wet stone" sounds exactly like "whetstone," a stone used for sharpening blades.
A man buys a glass and fills it halfway with water. Is it half full or half empty?
The riddle plays with the starting condition of the empty glass before any water was added.
I am filled with hotness. I don't mind how hot water is. What am I?
This rubber bag is filled with hot water to keep someone warm in bed.
A man was lying dead on the floor. Next to him was a puddle of water. How did he die?
The murder weapon melted after use, leaving behind only a puddle of water as evidence.
I sound a color, But that's the old me; I grow near the water; I'm what your doing. What am I?
This word sounds like the color 'red' but is spelled 'read', and also names a plant that grows by water.
A man crosses a desert in 10 days with no water. How?
The riddle's phrasing hides that the 'man' referred to is actually named after and is a camel.
I have your ohs and your wishes, Your life force and your death gasp. You can visit me, or we can get stuck together; Either way, you'll arrive pale and leave quenched. What am I?
People traditionally toss coins in and make wishes at this deep water source, and drink from it too.
I bought your aquarium for freshwater fish, I'm so glad but only one kind so far to surface, So, for now, I'll say thank you for the... what?
This is a pun on 'purchase' sounding like 'perches', a type of freshwater fish.
A traveler starts a journey. For the first week he goes east. The second he goes in all directions. The third he flies up into the sky. In the fourth he comes back down. Who is the traveler?
Think of the full water cycle: solid ice, flowing liquid, rising vapor, and falling precipitation.
I'm scared of the water, But not scared of heights; I'm light and come in different colors, But typically just white. What am I?
This soft paper product dissolves when wet but flutters easily in the air.
A girl walked into a bar and ordered some water. The bartender then threw a big hairy spider at her. A few minutes later, the girl thanked the man and walked out. Why?
A sudden scare is a classic (if odd) home remedy people use to stop hiccups.
A boat capsized there are no survivors and there are only 20 people on the boat but 24 heads are in the water. How is this possible?
Break the word 'foreheads' into 'four' plus 'heads' to solve the wordplay.
Two mothers and two daughters went to the grocery store to buy watermelons. Strangely, they only walked out of the grocery store with three watermelons, but this was enough for each of them to have one watermelon. How is it possible?
Count generations rather than people: one woman can be both a mother and a daughter at once.
Can you drop a full glass and spill no water?
The riddle never says the glass was full of water, just full.
They grab me, carry me, roast me on an open flame, grind me to pieces, blast what's left apart with boiling water, then finally, consume me. This happens to me and my billions of brothers daily. What am I?
The process of roasting, grinding, and brewing with hot water describes how a coffee bean becomes coffee.
What is the thing which, Once poured out, Cannot be gathered again?
Once rain falls from the clouds and pours down, there is no way to gather it back up into the sky again.
What has holes but can still hold water?
This porous kitchen item soaks up liquid despite being full of tiny gaps.
How can you put some water in a colander?
Turning the water into a solid, ice, lets it stay inside the holes rather than leaking through.
Which letter of the alphabet has the most water?
The letter "C" is a homophone for "sea," which contains the most water of any letter's namesake.
I was walking on the sand by the beach, not touching the water. When I turned around, there were no footprints. How come?
Walking backward means each new step lands exactly where a previous one already was.
What breaks on water but never on land?
This ocean movement crests and crashes only when it reaches the shore or open water.
Two of me become one, a union so true. I am transparent and pure, a liquid so clear. Quenching thirst, a gift without fear. What am I?
Two small clear droplets can merge together into a single larger one.
What did the beaver say when he slipped in water?
This is a pun combining 'dammit' with a beaver's dam-building habit.
What do you swallow that swallows you?
When you fall into deep water, in a sense it 'swallows' you just as you drink it.
Salmon need me. Gravity uses me. At a distance I look gorgeous, but get too close and I become hazardous. If you do see me, I am usually pretty tall. What am I?
Salmon famously swim upstream and leap over this feature, which looks beautiful from afar but dangerous up close.
While stranded in the desert, you come across two creatures offering water. Only, one has no nose, and one has spines. They say that one has poison, and the other will keep you going for a few more hours. Which one can't you trust?
A snake has no external nose, while a cactus is covered in spines and holds drinkable water.
To cross the water I'm the way, For water I'm above: I touch it not and, truth to say, I neither swim nor move. What am I?
A bridge spans over water so people can cross it, staying fixed above the surface without ever touching or moving through it.
I am hot. I am hidden. I am cold. I am hard. I am sharp. I am soft. I am still. I am moving. I am above. I am below. I am two and one. Always changing. Always the same. What am I?
This substance takes on nearly opposite qualities depending on its temperature and state.
I trap warmth, Spray forth ice and water, and slip through your fingers with ease What am I?
These drifting masses in the sky can release rain, hail, or snow depending on conditions.
I am related to the water, but I am not wet. I am related to a shadow, but I am multi-colored. I am an illusion, but I show what is real. What am I?
A calm surface of water shows a reflection just like this reflective object does, without actually being wet itself.
I am both a killer and a savior, it depends on those who wield me. I will bring you from deep water to the shallows, or maybe I could be the one who will hang you in the gallows. What am I?
This tool can be used to pull someone to safety or, if misused, to execute them.
I am a window, I am a lamp, I am clouded, I am shining, and I am colored; set in white, I fill with water and overflow. I say much, but I have no words. What am I?
This body part can look bright, cloud with tears, and 'overflow' when crying.
Why do dolphins swim in salt water?
This is a play on the salt-and-pepper pairing, imagining a dolphin avoiding pepper water.
We're both found in you; one thicker than the other; one colourless and the other colored. What are we?
One of these body fluids is clear and thin, and the other is thick and red.
In Jamaica, if you drop a steel ball weighing five pounds from a height of 45 inches, will it fall more rapidly through the water at 20 degrees Fahrenheit or water at 40 degrees Fahrenheit?
At 20°F, water would already be frozen solid ice, not liquid water for the ball to fall through.
What does an island and the letter T have in common?
An island sits in the middle of water, and the letter T sits in the middle of the word 'water'.
Spelled forward is a brand of bottled water, spelled backwards is what you call a person lack of judgement.
Try spelling this popular water brand's name backward to reveal another common word.
Water on wind; Light, I rescind. What am I?
This drifts through the sky carrying moisture and can block out sunlight.
What liquid is represented by 'hijklmno'?
The letters run consecutively from H to O, spelling out the chemical formula H2O.
When it is cold I expand and when it is warm I contract. What am I?
Unusually, this substance is one of the few that expands rather than contracts when it freezes.
Imagine you are deserted on an island lighted up with fire. You have no bucket so you cannot use the seawater. How do you escape?
The riddle is only asking you to imagine the scenario, so you can simply stop imagining it.
I possess a halo of water, walls of stone, and a tongue of wood. Long I have stood; what am I?
Its 'halo of water' is a moat, its 'walls of stone' are ramparts, and its 'tongue of wood' is a drawbridge.
What body of water was named after a famous spy?
This is a pun on 'James Bond' sounding like 'James Pond'.
What goes down but doesn't go up?
Water constantly flows over the edge and down, never reversing back up on its own.
If boiling water is poured into a thick drinking glass as well as a very thin wine glass. Which of the two is more likely to crack?
Thick glass heats unevenly, creating more internal stress than thin glass, which warms quickly and uniformly.
I follow soap to clear its trace, I wash away what suds embrace. What am I?
This liquid is used after soap to rinse away the leftover bubbles and residue.
What did one water glass say to the other water glass when they fell off the table?
This is a pun on glasses 'cracking' (breaking) and 'cracking up' (laughing).
I can trap many different things and colors, ever-changing, not boring. Look closely and you may find yourself also caught in my trap. What am I?
A calm reflective surface shows back whatever, and whoever, looks into it.
A precious stone as clear as a diamond. Seek it out when the suns near the horizon. Though you can walk on water with its power. Try to keep it, and it will vanish in an hour. What am I?
This frozen substance lets you walk on a lake's surface but melts away in warmth.
What is full of holes and can still hold water?
This porous kitchen item soaks up liquid despite being full of tiny gaps.
What's weightless, visible to the naked eye, and when you put it in a barrel of water it will make the barrel lighter in weight?
A hole takes up space that would otherwise be filled with heavier water.
No matter how much rain falls on me, I can't get any wetter. What am I?
Since it's already entirely liquid, adding more of the same substance can't make it 'wetter'.
My shape and sizes differ. Every time you dip me in water, I become smaller. What am I?
This bathroom item wears away and shrinks each time it's used in water.
20 people jump into an empty pool filled with water and nothing else. After, they jumped in 24 heads came back up. How is this possible?
Break the word 'foreheads' into 'four' plus 'heads' to solve the wordplay.
Bright as diamonds, Loud as thunder, Never still, A thing of wonder. What am I?
This natural landmark sparkles in sunlight and makes a constant, thunderous roar.
What runs but never walks?
This liquid or its source 'runs' constantly without ever having legs to walk.
I am the water of life, but seeing too much of me is never good. I am what binds families together, but I can be defied. What am I?
This vital fluid runs through your veins and the phrase 'blood is thicker than water' relates to family bonds.
I go up & then come down, A sight to the sour eyes, people love me. Rhymes with mountain, a pen in my name, A state of matter, who am I?
This decorative structure shoots water upward before it falls back down, and rhymes with 'mountain'.
I can be hot, I can be cold, I can run and I can be still, I can be hard and I can be soft. What am I?
This substance changes temperature and state easily, from steam to ice to a calm pond.
What is that which every one can divide, but no one can see where it has been divided?
You can split this liquid apart, but it instantly rejoins, leaving no visible seam.
You can drop me from the tallest building and I'll be fine. But drop me in water and I will die. What am I?
This material survives a fall but disintegrates and 'dies' when soaked.
I am seen in the water and seen in the sky, I am in the rainbow, a jay's feather, and lapis lazuli. What am I?
Both the ocean and the sky commonly share this particular color.
When in hot water I get harder. I am only useful once broken. Some people eat only the white part for its low fat, high protein nutritional content. What am I?
Boiling an egg firms it up, it must be cracked open to be used, and the egg white alone is a popular low-fat, high-protein food.
Late afternoons I often bathe. I'll soak in water piping hot. My essence goes through my see through clothes. Used up am I; I've gone to pot. What am I?
This small porous pouch is steeped in hot water to make a warm drink.
What gets dirtier the more you washes?
The liquid used to clean things picks up the dirt itself as you wash.
I have an eye but am blind, a sea, but no water; a bee, but no honey; Tea but no coffee; and a why, but no answer. What am I?
Sound out each pair of letters: 'i', 'c', 'b', 't', 'y' spell out letters of the alphabet.
I have seas with no water, coasts with no sand, towns without people, and mountains without land. What am I?
A map symbolically shows geography without containing the real physical features.
Why did mom test the bath water before putting Silly Billy in?
This is a pun on 'sunburn' sounding like 'son-burn'.
My first four letters describe all living things. My last five letters are another word for a knight. My job is to save you, and I'm a fan of water. Who am I?
Split the word: 'life' describes living things, and 'guard' is another word for a protector like a knight.
I am essential to life, yet I can take your breath away. I am both in you and around you. What am I?
This substance makes up most of your body and covers most of the planet, but can also drown you.
You can drop me from the tallest building and I will be well, but if u drop me in water I die. What am I?
This material survives a fall but disintegrates and 'dies' when soaked.
How do you spell hard water with three letters?
Frozen water is a hard, solid form spelled with just three letters.
This old one runs forever but never moves at all. It has not lungs nor throat, but still a mighty roaring call. What is it?
This landmark constantly flows and makes a loud noise, yet stays in one place.
You want to boil a two-minute egg. If you only have a three-minute timer (hourglass), a four-minute timer, and a five-minute timer, how can you boil the egg for only two minutes?
The gap between the three and five minute timers is exactly two minutes.
You can see me in water, but I never get wet. What am I?
A reflection appears on the water's surface without the reflected image itself becoming wet.
You go at red but stop at green. What am I?
This fruit is unripe (green) before eating and ripe/red (go) inside when cut open.
I have holes on the top and bottom. I have holes on my left and on my right. And I have holes in the middle, yet I still hold water. What am I?
This porous kitchen item soaks up liquid despite being full of tiny gaps.
What runs without legs?
This liquid flows and 'runs' downhill without having any actual legs.
What has holes but still holds water?
This porous kitchen item soaks up liquid despite being full of tiny gaps.
The rungs of a 10-foot ladder attached to a ship are 1 foot apart. If the water is rising at the rate of one foot an hour, how long will it take until the water covers the ladder?
Since the ladder is attached to a floating ship, the whole ship rises with the tide too.
When will water stop running downhill?
Gravity pulls water down until there's nowhere further down to go.
There is a green house. Inside the green house, there is a white house Inside the white house there is a red house. Inside the red house, there are lots of babies. What is it?
Think of the layered colors of a fruit: green rind, white pith, red flesh, and black seeds.
I am full of holes but I can still hold water. What am I?
This porous kitchen item soaks up liquid despite being full of tiny gaps.
A woman shoots her husband. Then she holds him underwater for over 5 minutes. Finally, she hangs him. But 5 minutes later they both go out and enjoy a wonderful dinner together. How can this be?
The words 'shoots', 'underwater', and 'hangs' all describe steps in developing a photograph.
A woman is walking down a street night at a constant pace. As she passes the street light, she notices that her shadow becomes longer. Does the top of her shadow move faster, slower or the same when the shadow is longer as when it is shorter?
Using similar triangles, the tip of the shadow's speed stays proportional and constant regardless of shadow length.
There are 50 horses and 50 kings riding along an old dirt road. They came to a peach tree with 50 peaches. Each took one, yet there were still 49 left. How is this possible?
The trick is that 'Each' is used as a proper name (one of the 50 kings), so only that single king actually took a peach, leaving 49.
A man called 911 and said he saw a masked man, the police said where are you? They said 3325 Quader Street, when the police went there, they never came back. Why?
The caller himself was the masked man, so the police arrested him upon arrival.
What is yellow and sucks sap from trees?
This describes the actual bird species called the yellow-bellied sapsucker, punning on its literal name and behavior.
Which is the oldest tree?
This is a pun: the 'elder' tree shares its name with the word 'elder,' meaning older -- making it, by wordplay, the 'oldest' tree.
What tree uses calendar?
This is a pun on 'dates' being both a calendar term and the fruit of this palm tree.
I climbed a cherry tree, where I found cherries. I didn't pick cherries, nor did I leave cherries. How did I achieve this?
With exactly two cherries, taking one still leaves one behind, satisfying both conditions.
What is a deer's favorite kind of tree?
"El-deer" is a pun on "elder," a type of tree, blended with "deer."
What has roots, taller than trees and yet never grows?
Its 'roots' are underground rock, and despite being tall it never actually increases in size.
Can you guess who pea's friend is? He is something that grows on trees, he doesn't get bothered by bees, Is often eaten, for enjoyment and taste, and it is often thrown away in waste.
Think of 'peanut', a word that combines 'pea' with this tree-grown snack.
What do unicorns use to decorate their Christmas tree?
This is a pun combining 'unicorn' with 'ornaments'.
I can reach up from the ground, or hang from a tree, I am the result of your labour, or your offspring I can be. What am I?
This grows on plants from the ground or a tree, and 'fruit of your labor' is also a common phrase.
What does a surprised tree do?
This is a pun on 'disbelief' sounding like 'dis-b-leaf', playing on tree leaves.
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