Some riddles are long and complex. Others are short but surprisingly tricky. The classic “what has legs but doesn’t walk” riddle falls into the second category — simple words, a familiar idea, and a twist that makes you rethink something you see every day.
That’s the magic of riddles: they invite you to step outside literal thinking and enjoy the playful, mysterious, and creative side of language.
Below is the riddle you came for, followed by 33 total riddles, each with a clear answer and an easy explanation written in simple U.S. English.
1. Riddle:
What has legs but doesn’t walk?
- Answer: Table
- Explanation: A table stands on “legs,” but it cannot move or walk, making it a classic logical misdirection.
2. Riddle:
What digs down but leaves no hole?
- Answer: Thought
- Explanation: Deep thinking “digs” into ideas but creates no physical hole.
3. Riddle:
What gets wetter the more it dries?
- Answer: Towel
- Explanation: Towels absorb water while drying, making them wetter as they work.
4. Riddle:
The more you take, the more you leave behind. What am I?
- Answer: Footsteps
- Explanation: Walking creates a trail that grows the more you move.
5. Riddle:
What has hands but can’t clap?
- Answer: Clock
- Explanation: Clock “hands” point to time instead of performing actions.
6. Riddle:
I’m tall when I’m young and short when I’m old. What am I?
- Answer: Candle
- Explanation: A candle burns down as time passes.
7. Riddle:
What has many keys but opens no doors?
- Answer: Piano
- Explanation: Piano keys create music but aren’t used for unlocking.
8. Riddle:
What can fill a room but takes up no space?
- Answer: Light
- Explanation: Light brightens a room without occupying physical space.
9. Riddle:
What can you catch but never throw?
- Answer: Cold
- Explanation: “Catching a cold” is a phrase meaning getting sick.
10. Riddle:
What begins with “t,” ends with “t,” and has “t” inside?
- Answer: Teapot
- Explanation: The word starts and ends with “t,” and tea goes inside it.
11. Riddle:
What begins and ends with an “e” but contains only one letter?
- Answer: Envelope
- Explanation: An envelope holds a single letter and starts and ends with “e.”
12. Riddle:
What has one eye but can’t see?
- Answer: Needle
- Explanation: The “eye” is the small opening for thread.
13. Riddle:
What belongs to you but is used more by others?
- Answer: Your name
- Explanation: Others say your name more often than you do.
14. Riddle:
What gets broken without being touched?
- Answer: Promise
- Explanation: Promises break through actions, not physical force.
15. Riddle:
What has a neck but no head?
- Answer: Bottle
- Explanation: Bottles have “necks,” but nothing above them.
16. Riddle:
What comes down but never goes up?
- Answer: Rain
- Explanation: Rain falls down naturally and doesn’t reverse direction.
17. Riddle:
What is always in front of you but can’t be seen?
- Answer: Future
- Explanation: You move toward it, but it’s not visible.
18. Riddle:
What has ears but cannot hear?
- Answer: Corn
- Explanation: Corn “ears” are part of the plant, not for listening.
19. Riddle:
What has teeth but doesn’t bite?
- Answer: Comb
- Explanation: The “teeth” on a comb are for grooming hair.
20. Riddle:
What flies without wings and cries without eyes?
- Answer: Cloud
- Explanation: Clouds move through the sky and release rain.
21. Riddle:
What moves around the world but stays in one corner?
- Answer: Stamp
- Explanation: A stamp remains in the corner of an envelope as it travels everywhere.
22. Riddle:
What can you break even when you whisper it?
- Answer: Silence
- Explanation: Any sound breaks silence, even a whisper.
23. Riddle:
What word becomes shorter when you add letters?
- Answer: Short
- Explanation: Adding “er” turns it into “shorter.”
24. Riddle:
What has a bed but never sleeps?
- Answer: River
- Explanation: A riverbed holds water while the river constantly flows.
25. Riddle:
What has a heart that doesn’t beat?
- Answer: Artichoke
- Explanation: The “heart” is the vegetable’s edible center.
26. Riddle:
What gets bigger the more you take away?
- Answer: Hole
- Explanation: Removing material enlarges the empty space.
27. Riddle:
What never asks questions but gets answered all the time?
- Answer: Telephone
- Explanation: Phones receive answers but don’t inquire themselves.
28. Riddle:
What has roots but never grows?
- Answer: Mountain
- Explanation: Mountains have deep “roots” at their base but don’t grow like plants.
29. Riddle:
What goes up but never comes down?
- Answer: Age
- Explanation: You only get older, never younger.
30. Riddle:
What gets used by everyone but is owned by one person?
- Answer: Name
- Explanation: It’s your personal name but used frequently by others.
31. Riddle:
What melts but isn’t made of ice?
- Answer: Snowman
- Explanation: Snow melts in heat, and so do snowmen.
32. Riddle:
What kind of room has no walls?
- Answer: Mushroom
- Explanation: A wordplay twist on “room.”
33. Riddle:
What do you get when you cross a table with good humor?
- Answer: A good stand‑up
- Explanation: A pun playing on “standing on legs” and comedy “stand-up.”
Final Thoughts on the Riddle That Makes You Rethink Legs
The “what has legs but doesn’t walk riddle answer” is a perfect example of how simple ideas can become clever puzzles.
Riddles like these wake up your mind, challenge assumptions, and make ordinary things feel a little more interesting.