472 "What Am I?" Riddles With Answers - page 4 of 5
I have a tongue, but cannot speak. I have a bed but cannot sleep. I have four legs but cannot walk. Yet I move as you do. What am I?
A wagon has a flat 'bed,' a metal 'tongue' (the pull-bar), and four wheels ('legs') that only roll when someone else moves it.
I am the ruler of shovels, I have a double, I am as thin as a knife, I have a wife. What am I?
In a deck of cards, the king of spades rules the spade suit, has a mirrored 'double' image printed on the card, is flat as a knife, and is paired with a queen — his 'wife.'
I am used to bat with, yet I never get a hit. I am near a ball, yet it is never thrown. What am I?
You can "bat" your eyelashes (flirtatiously blink), and they sit right next to the eyeball ("ball") without ever touching or hitting it.
I'm lighter than air but a million men can't lift me. What am I?
A soap bubble is extremely light and appears to float weightlessly, but it pops at the slightest touch, so no amount of manpower can "lift" it as a solid object.
I have a mouth on my head and eat everything. What am I?
A backpack's main zippered opening (its "mouth") is usually near the top ("head"), and it can hold ("eat") all sorts of items.
I only have one entrance, but you can come out with three exits. What am I?
A blouse has one main opening to put on, but the wearer's head and two arms all emerge through their own separate openings.
I build up castles. I tear down mountains. I make some men blind, I help others to see. What am I?
Sand can be built into sandcastles, wind-driven sand erodes mountains over time, sand can blind in a sandstorm, and melted sand becomes glass that helps people see.
Ten men's strength, ten men's length, ten men can't break it, yet a young boy walks off with it. What am I?
A length of rope can be too strong to break by pulling apart, yet since it's flexible, a child can easily coil it up and carry it away.
From house to house I go, sometimes narrow, sometimes wide. And whether there's rain or snow I always stay outside. What am I?
A path connects one house to the next, varies in width, and — unlike a house — is always exposed to the weather.
You may always chase me but you are always about 3 miles away. What am I?
No matter how far you travel toward the horizon, it always remains the same distance away, since it is defined relative to your own position.
I am as strong as ten men, yet ten men cannot stand me up. What am I?
Water can be as powerful as ten strong men, yet being a liquid, it can never physically 'stand up' on its own.
I am flora, not fauna, I am foliage, not trees, I am shrubbery, not grass. What am I?
A bush is a type of plant life (flora), made up of leafy branches (foliage), and classified as shrubbery rather than a tree or grass.
You can see nothing else when you look in my face, I will look you in the eye and I will never lie. What am I?
When you look into a mirror, your reflection shows only your own face and mimics you exactly, never "lying" about what it shows.
I can bring tears to your eyes; resurrect the dead, make you smile, and reverse time. I form in an instant but I last a lifetime. What am I?
Memories can be formed in an instant yet last a lifetime, capable of evoking joy or sadness, or even making it feel as if someone who has passed is with you again.
Three or four, I can stab through or rule the seas. You know my cousins. What am I?
A fork has three or four tines used to "stab" food; its mythological cousin, the trident, similarly has prongs and is associated with ruling the seas (Poseidon's weapon).
I have a hundred legs but cannot stand, a long neck but no head; I eat the maid's life. What am I?
A broom's bristles are its 'hundred legs,' its handle is a headless 'long neck,' and traditionally it was the housemaid's constant chore ('life').
Poke your fingers in my eyes and I will open wide my jaws. Linen cloth, quills, or paper, my greedy lust devours them all. What am I?
A pair of scissors opens wide when you slip your fingers into its handle-holes, and it happily cuts through cloth, feathers, and paper alike.
I have no life, but I can die. What am I?
A battery isn't alive, but once it runs out of charge, people commonly say it has 'died.'
I am not alive but I grow. I don't have lungs but I need air. What am I?
Fire isn't a living organism, yet it 'grows' by spreading, and while it has no lungs, it needs a steady supply of oxygen to keep burning.
I have no brain but am still smarter than the average human. What am I?
A calculator has no brain of its own, yet it can perform arithmetic far faster and more accurately than the average person.
Two bodies with ribs, exposed. What am I?
A ladder's two side rails are its 'bodies,' and its rungs, laid bare between them, look like exposed ribs.
I'm a king that speaks for my country. At birth I am protected by no one. As I grow my father gives me 2 soldiers to protect me. As I get matured many more are given to me. And at my full age my father gives me 32 white soldiers to guard me and protect me. What am I?
The tongue 'speaks' for the country, and its royal guard is teeth — none at birth, two at first, and a full set of 32 by adulthood.
I have many ears, this may be true, but no matter how you shout, I'll never hear you. What am I?
Corn plants grow "ears" (the corn cobs), giving a cornfield countless "ears," yet obviously none of them can actually hear you.
I can be told and can make you crazy. Most people don't like me and think I'm harmful. What am I?
A lie can be told to someone, and believing or being caught in one can drive a person to distraction, since most people consider lying harmful.
A very pretty thing I am, fluttering in the pale-blue sky. Delicate, fragile on the wing, indeed I am a pretty thing. What am I?
A butterfly is delicate and fragile, with beautifully patterned wings that flutter gracefully through the sky.
There are two meanings to me. With one I may need to be broken, with the other I hold on. My favorite characteristic is my charming dimple. What am I?
'Promise' can mean a pledge you keep ('hold on') or a habit you must break, and its noun form even contains a hidden 'dimple' — 'promise' has the word 'promis' but really the pun is on breaking vs. keeping a promise.
Ne'er the same, in multitude you see me. You love me, you hate me. What am I?
No two snowflakes are exactly alike, they fall in great numbers together, and people have mixed feelings about snow -- fun for play, dreaded for shoveling.
I'm light as a feather, yet the strongest man can't hold me for more than 5 minutes. What am I?
Your breath weighs essentially nothing, yet holding it in (not breathing) for more than a few minutes is something no one — however strong — can survive.
Until I am measured, I am not known. Yet how you miss me when I have flown. What am I?
This classic riddle describes time -- it isn't fully appreciated until measured, and once it has passed, people often regret not using it well.
A long snake that smokes. What am I?
A long train winding along its tracks resembles a snake, and older steam trains puffed smoke from their engines.
I never ask questions, but I am always answered. What am I?
Ringing a doorbell prompts someone to answer the door, even though the doorbell itself never poses a question.
I have no wings but I fly, I have no teeth but I bite. What am I?
A bullet has no wings yet "flies" through the air, and has no teeth yet "bites" (wounds) whatever it strikes.
I am a seed, three letters in the name, take away two and I sound quite the same. What am I?
'Pea' is a three-letter seed; drop the last two letters and you're left with 'P,' which sounds just like the whole word.
I'm so simple I only point, yet I guide people all over the world. What am I?
A compass needle does nothing but point (toward magnetic north), yet that simple pointing helps travelers navigate the entire world.
I cover what is real and hide what is true, but sometimes I bring out the courage in you. What am I?
Makeup covers up someone's natural face, hiding what's real, but it can also boost confidence and courage.
Two legs I have, and this will confound, only at rest do they touch the ground. What am I?
A wheelbarrow's two rear legs only touch the ground when it's set down at rest; while it's in use, it rolls on its front wheel instead.
I am something all men have but all men deny. Man created me but no man can hold me. What am I?
Fear is something every person experiences yet often refuses to admit to, and it's an intangible feeling no one can physically grasp.
I don't exist unless you cut me, but if you stab me I won't bleed. I hate no one yet am abhorred by all. What am I?
A fart isn't a physical object until it's released ('cut' loose), doesn't bleed if you 'stab' at it, and is universally disliked despite being harmless.
To unravel me, you need a key. No key that was made by locksmith's hand, but a key that only I will understand. What am I?
A cipher (secret code) can only be 'unlocked' or understood with the right key to its pattern, not a physical locksmith's key.
I have a tongue but cannot taste. I have a soul but cannot feel. What am I?
A shoe has a 'tongue' (the flap over the laces) and a 'sole' (its bottom, a homophone of 'soul'), but neither can actually taste or feel.
I work hard most every day, not much time to dance and play. If I could reach what I desire, all like me would now retire. What am I?
Doctors work hard hoping to cure disease — if they succeeded completely, there would be no more sick people, and doctors 'like them' could retire.
I go in dry and come out wet, the longer I'm in, the stronger I get. What am I?
A tea bag goes into hot water dry and comes out wet, and the longer it steeps, the stronger the tea becomes.
I warn you about meetings, and I assist you in your life, I can help you do most of your work, unless I have a bug. What am I?
A computer can show meeting reminders and help with most tasks, but it malfunctions when it has a 'bug' (software glitch).
Take away my first letter and I remain the same. Take away my last letter and I remain unchanged. Remove all my letters and I'm still me. What am I?
This riddle plays on identity rather than spelling: no matter what mail is taken away -- his first delivery, his last delivery, or all of it -- he is still called a mailman.
He has one and a person has two, a citizen has three and a human being has four, a personality has five and an inhabitant of earth has six. What am I?
'He' has one syllable, 'person' has two, 'citizen' has three, 'human being' counts to four, 'personality' has five, and 'inhabitant' has six -- each word matches its own syllable count.
I can be dropped from the tallest of buildings and survive, but drop me from the smallest ship and I won't. What am I?
A piece of paper flutters gently and survives a fall from even the tallest skyscraper, but dropped into the water beside the smallest ship it would get soaked and ruined -- the real danger is water, not height.
Guided, I am scraping along, leaving behind my snow-white dust against that which I am scraping, for when I am scraping, I must. What am I?
Chalk is guided across a surface (like a chalkboard) and leaves behind white dust as it wears away -- it must scrape to do its job.
Travel a mile and I will change, travel a million and I will end as I started. What am I?
An odometer's reading changes after one mile, but after a million miles it commonly rolls back over to all zeros, ending as it started.
You have to travel far before you turn it over. What is it?
An odometer's digits 'turn over' to the next round number only after the car has traveled enough miles.
It can be done to buttons and shopping carts. What is it?
You push a button to activate it and push a shopping cart to move it along.
A man walks out of a house that has four walls all facing north. A bird walks past him. What is it?
A house with all four walls facing north can only be at the South Pole, and the flightless bird found walking around there is a penguin.
It is able to speak because it has a hard tongue. You know what it is as soon as it has sung. What is it?
A bell 'speaks' when its hard internal clapper, sometimes called its tongue, strikes the metal, and its distinctive ring instantly identifies it.
Strip the skin under my skin, and my flesh you'll reveal. It tastes sweet and tart, now throw out the peel. What is it?
An orange has a thick outer peel and a thin inner pith ("skin under my skin") to remove before reaching its sweet-tart flesh, with the peel discarded afterward.
What moves across the land but never has to steer? It has delivered our goods year after year. What is it?
A train travels overland fixed to its rails, so unlike a car it never needs to be steered, and it has long been used to haul freight.
Built of metal or wood to divide. It will make us good neighbors, if you stay on your side. What is it?
A fence, built of wood or metal, marks the boundary between neighboring properties -- echoing the saying 'good fences make good neighbors.'
It stands upright and can be quite grand. Its secret is not hidden but right at hand. What is it?
An upright piano stands tall, a grand piano is the largest and most impressive kind, and its "secret" -- the keys that make its music -- is right there under the player's hands.
Tickle with your fingers and a song it will sing. Be careful, though, you may break a string. What is it?
Plucking a guitar's strings with your fingers produces music, but pluck too hard and you risk snapping a string.
Neither bought nor sold but more valuable than gold. It is built but not by hand. What is it?
Trust can't be purchased and is more precious than money; it's built slowly through actions and honesty, not by physical construction.
The leaves are on the fruit, the fruit is on the leaves. What is it?
A pineapple's leafy crown sprouts directly from the top of its fruit, so its leaves and fruit are literally attached to each other.
You can't live without doing this, and we all do it at the same time. Yet many wish it wasn't happening. What is it?
Every living person ages at the same steady rate with each passing day, even though many people wish they could stop it.
It can be used onstage or to express admiration. What is it?
"Props" are physical objects used in a stage production, and "giving someone props" is slang for expressing admiration or respect.
Controlled by your hands and feet. It would be nothing without a street. What is it?
A car is steered by your hands on the wheel and operated by your feet on the pedals, but it needs roads to actually go anywhere.
Pointing North, South, East, and West it saves the lost and helps the rest. What is it?
A magnetic compass always points toward the cardinal directions, helping travelers find their way when they'd otherwise be lost.
You can always see it, but it's too far away to touch. Mountains rest on it, and at sea it surrounds you. What is it?
The horizon is the visible line where earth meets sky -- always seen, never reached, appearing under mountains and encircling you at sea.
This old one runs forever, but never moves at all. He has not lungs nor throat, but still a mighty roaring call. What is it?
A waterfall's water is always flowing and roaring loudly, yet the waterfall itself, as a landform, stays fixed in one place.
Used on a diamond and left on a board. It's great for a gymnast his grip to restore. What is it?
Chalk is rubbed on hands for grip near the baseball diamond and used by gymnasts on the beam or rings, and it's also left as marks on a chalkboard.
It's equally comfortable in an orchestra and a geometry textbook. What is it?
A triangle is both a percussion instrument played by striking a metal frame and the basic three-sided shape studied in geometry.
It gets passed among men and builds without growing. It serves to injure from a source unknowing. What is it?
A lie spreads from person to person, growing more damaging the further it travels, and it can hurt someone even though its target may never know where it started.
Attracted by light but flies at night. It's tiny and hairy but not too scary. What is it?
Moths are famously drawn to light at night, and their small, fuzzy bodies look harmless despite startling people who bump into them in the dark.
Usually green but can be brown. It's a great place to play or lie down. What is it?
Grass covers lawns and fields in green (or dried-out brown), and it's the classic soft surface people play and relax on.
This has no beginning, middle or end, and all the greatest thinkers see it but can't comprehend. What is it?
The vastness of space (or the infinite universe) has no clear starting or ending point, and even the greatest scientific minds struggle to fully grasp its scale.
This is a plant named after a light source. What is it?
The sunflower gets its name from the sun, and it's famous for turning its head to follow sunlight across the sky.
It comes from crystal and melts to a treat. Add it to your tea to make it sweet. What is it?
Sugar forms as crystals that dissolve when stirred into tea, sweetening it into a treat.
You use this to clean although it is small. If you forget it, your smile will appall. What is it?
A toothbrush is small but essential for cleaning your teeth, and skipping it leaves your smile looking (and feeling) far from its best.
No sooner spoken than broken. What is it?
The moment you speak, you end the silence -- so silence is 'broken' the instant it's spoken about.
It is the assumed nocturnal symbol of Mr. Wayne. What is it?
Bruce Wayne is the secret identity of Batman, who adopted the bat as his nighttime crime-fighting symbol.
Man walks over, and man swims under. In times of war, it can be burned asunder. What is it?
People walk across a bridge while boats or swimmers pass beneath it, and bridges have historically been burned or destroyed to block advancing armies.
Everyone needs this, it's great with an 'r' on the end, but you're sad when the first letter goes away. What is it?
Add an 'r' to 'love' and you get 'lover,' but remove the first letter 'l' from 'lover' and you get 'over,' which is sad because it means a relationship has ended.
There are several different kinds, but the one you pick doesn't do its job. What is it?
This is a pun: locks come in many types, but the one skill a thief needs is to 'pick' a lock, defeating its very purpose.
Through its wounds, water does run. It once held many but now has none. What is it?
A shipwreck's hull is breached ('wounded') so water flows freely through it, and though it once carried passengers, it now sits empty on the seafloor.
Both a currency and an antlered male. What is it?
'Buck' is slang for a dollar and is also the name for a male deer with antlers.
Never alive but practically extinct. How we miss the letters pressing the ribbon of ink. What is it?
A typewriter was never a living thing, but it's now a nearly extinct technology, once used to press keys against an inked ribbon to print each letter.
Sometimes it's silver but also gold. Printed on paper it's a treasure to hold. What is it?
Currency can be minted in silver or gold coins or printed as paper bills, but either way it's treated as a treasured store of value.
Tomorrow's yesterday. Yesterday's tomorrow. What is it?
From tomorrow's perspective, today is 'yesterday,' and from yesterday's perspective, today is 'tomorrow' -- today is the constant.
Its fleece is warm and wooly white. And when you lie awake at night, count it and you'll fall asleep. What is it?
Counting sheep is the classic trick people use to help themselves fall asleep, and sheep are known for their warm white wool.
It carries paper of the most important sort, but also plastic, I'm glad to report. What is it?
A wallet holds important paper money as well as plastic credit and debit cards.
A beacon from home to guide your way. It can be a lifesaver on a stormy day. What is it?
A lighthouse shines its beam from the shore to guide sailors safely, and in a storm its warning light can literally save lives by steering ships away from rocks.
It is yellow and you can serve it but not eat it. What is it?
In tennis, players 'serve' the ball to start a point, but of course you don't eat it the way you'd serve food.
It is a place of play on a sunny day. Winter will come and take all the fun, but we'll be back in May. What is it?
A park is a favorite outdoor spot for warm-weather play that empties out in winter and comes back to life in spring.
Touch this and you'll regret it. But if it's cold, you won't forget it. What is it?
Touching fire burns and you'll regret it instantly; the source's answer is a looser fit for the 'cold' line, which likely refers to the lingering memory of the burn even once the fire has gone cold.
Grown in the ground, it's taller than you. Strip off the outside, the yellow pieces you chew. What is it?
Corn stalks grow taller than a person, and after husking (stripping the outside), you chew the yellow kernels.
You use it between your head and your toes, the more it works the thinner it grows. What is it?
A bar of soap is used to wash your entire body from head to toe, and it wears down and shrinks the more you use it.
It is not your enemy, yet we still beat it. What is it?
This plays on the double meaning of 'beat': striking a drum is called beating it, even though it's an instrument, not an opponent.
It rows quickly with four oars but never comes out from under his own roof. What is it?
A turtle's four legs work like oars propelling it through water, while its shell serves as a permanent roof it never leaves.
It flavors your food and divides the year up. What is it?
This plays on the double meaning of the word: to 'season' food means to flavor it, and a 'season' is also one of the four divisions of the year.
It is everything to someone, and nothing to everyone else. What is it?
A person's own mind or inner world is the whole of their experience, yet completely inaccessible and meaningless to anyone else.
You can spin, wheel and twist, but this thing can turn without moving. What is it?
Milk can "turn" sour or go bad while sitting perfectly still, playing on the double meaning of "turn" (to rotate vs. to spoil).
It keeps you on the ground and stops things from floating around. What is it?
Gravity is the force that keeps people's feet on the ground and prevents loose objects from drifting into the air.
It could make arrows fly and kites soar. What is it?
A bowstring launches arrows, and a length of string is also what lets you fly and control a kite.
Not a comb or a brush but makes the hair feel plush. What is it?
Shampoo doesn't style hair like a comb or brush, but washing with it leaves hair feeling soft and plush.