Idiom Games for ESL Adults: 7 Activities + Free PDF

Your adult students can tell you what spill the beans means. Ask them to use it in a sentence, and most of them go quiet. An idiom sticks when students have to use it fast, with a partner waiting for their turn, and that is exactly what a game gives them.

Below are 24 everyday idioms that adults hear at work and at home, and seven idiom games for B1-B2 classes, from Bluff and bingo to dominoes and an auction. Six of the games come with a free printable, and every one of them runs in pairs or small groups, so you can listen instead of leading.

The activities at a glance

#	Activity	Time	Skill
1	Bluff	10 min	Meaning
2	Draw it or act it	10 min	Speaking
3	Idiom dominoes	10 min	Form
4	Idiom bingo	15 min	Listening
5	Idiom auction	20 min	Accuracy
6	Idiom tic-tac-toe	15 min	Speaking
7	Story chain	10 min	Speaking

Free · printable PDFIdiom Games PackAll 24 idioms on one page, plus the printables for games 1 to 6 below, numbered like this post: Bluff cards, picture cards, 24 dominoes, six bingo cards with call cards, an auction sheet and three tic-tac-toe grids. Answers are on every page.24 idioms6 printable gamesB1 to B2A4 and LetterDownload the free PDFUS Letter: PDF

24 everyday idioms for adult ESL classes

We checked every idiom in the Cambridge Dictionary and kept only the ones people use today in ordinary conversation. Five of them are marked informal (call it a day, cut to the chase, pull a person's leg, the elephant in the room and miss the boat), so they suit a chat with colleagues better than a formal email.

Free printable · page 1All 24 idioms and their meanings on one page, in the same four groups. Students keep it on the desk to check their answers in every game.Download the free PDF

At work: idioms 1 to 6

Your business English students will hear these six in meetings every week. If they need the phrasal verbs that come with an office day too, Phrasal Verbs for Work (B1-B2, free) walks them through a whole corporate day in natural English.

Idiom	Meaning and example
1. get the ball rolling	Start something, like a project or a discussion. Let's get the ball rolling with a quick round of ideas.
2. cut corners	Do something badly or cheaply to save time or money. The builders cut corners, and now the roof leaks.
3. go the extra mile	Make more effort than people expect. Our hotel went the extra mile and upgraded our room for free.
4. call it a day	Stop working for today. It's almost eight. Let's call it a day.
5. back to square one	Back at the start, because the plan failed. The client hated the design, so we're back to square one.
6. the ball is in your court	It's your turn to act or decide. I've sent them my offer. Now the ball is in their court.

Talking: idioms 7 to 12

These six are about how people talk, so students can use them in class straight away. Let me cut to the chase is a useful line for every student who gives presentations.

Idiom	Meaning and example
7. spill the beans	Tell a secret. Who spilled the beans about the surprise party?
8. beat around the bush	Avoid saying the important thing. Stop beating around the bush and tell me what happened.
9. cut to the chase	Talk about the important part straight away. We only have ten minutes, so let me cut to the chase.
10. hit the nail on the head	Say exactly what the problem is. You hit the nail on the head: the app is too slow.
11. pull a person's leg	Joke by telling a person something that isn't true. Relax, I'm just pulling your leg. The meeting isn't canceled.
12. the elephant in the room	A big problem that everyone sees but nobody talks about. The budget was the elephant in the room all afternoon.

Decisions: idioms 13 to 18

Watch the grammar here. On the fence needs be (I'm on the fence), and sleep on it and play it by ear always keep their it.

Idiom	Meaning and example
13. bite the bullet	Do something hard or unpleasant that you can't avoid. I finally bit the bullet and booked the dentist.
14. on the fence	Not able to decide. I'm still on the fence about moving to Lisbon.
15. sleep on it	Wait until tomorrow to decide. It's a big decision. Why don't you sleep on it?
16. play it by ear	Decide what to do as things happen, without a plan. We don't know the weather, so let's play it by ear.
17. a long shot	Something that will probably not work, but you try. It's a long shot, but I've applied for the job in Tokyo.
18. miss the boat	Lose a chance because you were too slow. Tickets sold out in an hour. We missed the boat.

Life and money: idioms 19 to 24

For idioms about strong feelings, like over the moon and at my wit's end, the Feelings Idioms worksheet (B2-C1) teaches 12 more.

Idiom	Meaning and example
19. cost an arm and a leg	Be very expensive. Rent in this city costs an arm and a leg.
20. once in a blue moon	Almost never. I eat fast food once in a blue moon.
21. a blessing in disguise	A bad thing that brings something good later. Losing that job was a blessing in disguise.
22. the last straw	The final problem that makes you lose patience. The fifth late train this week was the last straw, so I bought a bike.
23. in the same boat	In the same difficult situation as other people. Don't worry about the exam. We're all in the same boat.
24. kill two birds with one stone	Do two things with one action. I walk to work, so I kill two birds with one stone: exercise and no traffic.

How to teach idioms with games

Meaning, then form, then use. The games below follow that order: games 1 and 2 teach the meaning, 3 to 5 the exact words, and 6 and 7 get students talking about their own lives.
Six to eight idioms per lesson. Pick one group from the list, play two games with it, and save the next group for next week.
Always ask for the full sentence. Knowing that the last straw means the final problem is half the job. In bingo and tic-tac-toe, a point only counts with a full, correct sentence.
Let students check themselves. Page 1 and the upside-down answers do the checking, so you can listen for mistakes instead of being the referee.

7 idiom games for adult ESL classes

Every game works in pairs or groups of three to four. The printables need scissors for games 1 to 4. Games 5 and 6 are ready to use as they are, and game 7 reuses the cards from game 2.

1of 7B1-B210 minMeaningFree printable · page 2

Bluff

How it works

Play it before students see page 1. Pairs put the 12 cards face down.
Student A takes a card and reads the idiom and all three meanings in a serious voice. Student B chooses the real meaning, and the answer is upside down on the card.
In round 2, pairs take a card from game 2 and write two fake meanings for its idiom, then try to bluff each other.

One cardIdiomonce in a blue moonAonly at nightBwhen you feel sadCalmost never

Why it works

Guessing first makes students curious, and a wrong guess is easy to remember. Writing fake meanings in round 2 makes them think hard about what the real meaning says.

Free printable · page 2Twelve cards to cut out, each with an idiom, three meanings and the real answer upside down in the corner. The real answer is A, B or C four times each.Download the free PDFUS Letter: PDF

2of 7B1-B210 minSpeakingFree printable · page 3

Draw it or act it

How it works

Groups put the 24 cards face down. A student takes a card and chooses: draw the literal picture or act it out, with no words.
The card gives a hint for the picture, like a can of beans falling over or a person sitting on a fence, so nobody gets stuck.
The others guess the idiom, then say what it really means. One point for the idiom and one for the meaning.

Why it works

It is idiom Pictionary and idiom charades in one game. The literal picture is funny, and the joke is what makes students remember the real meaning that comes straight after it.

Free printable · page 324 idiom cards with a picture hint on each. Keep the cards for game 7.Download the free PDFUS Letter: PDF

3of 7B1-B210 minFormFree printable · page 4

Idiom dominoes

How it works

Pairs share the 24 tiles. Each tile has the end of one idiom and the start of the next.
One tile goes in the middle. Students take turns to add a tile to either end of the line, so the two halves make an idiom, and say the full idiom aloud.
The tiles make one closed loop, so every tile fits somewhere. The first player with no tiles wins.

Two tiles in a rowTile... straw | once in a ...Next tile... blue moon | pull a person's ...

Why it works

Most idiom mistakes are in the words, not the meaning: a missing the, a plural that isn't there, the wrong preposition. Dominoes make students rebuild every idiom word by word.

Free printable · page 424 tiles to cut out, printed so no two matching tiles sit side by side. The full loop is upside down at the foot of the page.Download the free PDFUS Letter: PDF

4of 7B1-B215 minListeningFree printable · pages 5-6

Idiom bingo

How it works

Groups of three to four. Each player takes one of the six bingo cards, with nine idioms on each.
Students take turns as the caller and read a situation card aloud: The concert tickets were 400 euros each. Every player with the idiom for it crosses it out.
Three in a line wins, but only if the player can say each of the three idioms in a full sentence about its situation.

Why it works

Bingo goes from a situation to the idiom, which is the direction students need when they speak. Because the students do the calling, you are free to walk around and listen.

Free printable · pages 5-6Six different bingo cards and 24 call cards. The idiom is upside down at the foot of each call card, so the caller can check it.Download the free PDFUS Letter: PDF

If your students ask for a game every week, 14 Ready-to-Play Games gives you a year of them on Miro boards, for levels A2 to C1.

5of 7B1-B220 minAccuracyFree printable · page 7

Idiom auction

How it works

Two pairs play against each other with 1,000 euros each. Six of the 12 sentences are correct, and six have a mistake in the idiom.
Pairs tick yes or no for every sentence. Then, for each sentence, both pairs write a secret bid from 0 to 300 euros. The higher bid buys it.
At the end, a correct sentence pays double the bid and a wrong one pays nothing. Pairs then correct the six wrong sentences together.

Two of the sentencesCorrectLosing that client was a blessing in disguise.WrongWe're all in one boat.

Why it works

Money makes students commit to an answer, so they argue about every sentence before they bid. The six mistakes are the real ones adults make, the same ones as in the table below.

Free printable · page 7Twelve sentences with columns for the answer, the bid and the result, plus the scoring rules. The answers and corrections are upside down at the foot of the page.Download the free PDFUS Letter: PDF

6of 7B1-B215 minSpeakingFree printable · page 8

Idiom tic-tac-toe

How it works

Pairs play on one of three grids: At work, Talking and deciding, or Life and money. One student is X and the other is O.
To win a square, the student answers its question about their own life with the idiom in a full sentence: Rent in my city costs an arm and a leg.
The partner checks the idiom on page 1. If it is right, the square is won. Three in a line wins the grid.

One squareSquareonce in a blue moonQuestionSomething you do once in a blue moonAnswerI go to the opera once in a blue moon.

Why it works

This is the step where students use the idioms about their own lives, so the idioms become theirs. The questions are light, so no student has to share anything private.

Free printable · page 8Three grids of nine squares, each with an idiom and a question about the student's life.Download the free PDFUS Letter: PDF

7of 7B1-B210 minSpeakingNo printing

Story chain

How it works

Groups of three to four deal five cards each from game 2.
One student starts a story: Last Monday, my boss called a meeting at 8 a.m. The next student adds a sentence with one of their idioms and puts the card down.
The story has to make sense. If the group says an idiom doesn't fit, the student takes the card back. The first student with no cards wins.

Why it works

Students have to choose the idiom that fits the story, not just any idiom, and that choice is the skill they need outside class. It also makes a quick review at the start of the next lesson.

The next step after the games

Once students can build a story with idioms, show them idioms in real scenes. Speak Like Friends (B1-B2) teaches six idioms from Friends episodes, and Speak Like Emily in Paris (B1-B2) works the same way with the first episode of season 4.

Speak Like FriendsB1B2ProSee the Pro lesson →Speak Like Emily In ParisB1B2ProSee the Pro lesson →

Idiom Games PackAll 24 idioms and everything for games 1 to 6 in one free PDF, page by page in the order of this post.Download the free PDF

Mistakes your students will make

Teacher's reference

The idiom slips to listen for

Students say	Better
We're all in one boat.	We're all in the same boat.
Ukrainian says в одному човні, word for word "in one boat". English needs the same.
We can kill two birds with one shot.	We can kill two birds with one stone.
Spanish says matar dos pájaros de un tiro, "with one shot". In English it is a stone.
The ball is on your side.	The ball is in your court.
French says la balle est dans ton camp, "in your camp". The English idiom comes from tennis, so it is a court.
We're back to the square one.	We're back to square one.
No article: square one works like a name.
Stop beating around the bushes.	Stop beating around the bush.
Always one bush. British speakers also say beat about the bush.
Who spilled the bean?	Who spilled the beans?
Always plural, even for one small secret.
I'm in the fence about it.	I'm on the fence about it.
Picture a person sitting on top of a fence: it is always on.

Want a themed set for a holiday class? Idioms About Autumn, Halloween Idioms and Winter Idioms are B1-B2 worksheets with ten or more idioms each, and our 25 Valentine's Day idioms come with their own free activity pack.

Idiom lessons and worksheets

Level	Lesson	What students do
B1-B2	Speak Like Friends	Work out six idioms from scenes in Friends and use them in new situations
B1-B2	Speak Like Emily In Paris	Learn idioms from the first episode of season 4
B1-B2	Phrasal Verbs for Work · free	Describe a corporate day with natural English phrases
B1-B2	Idioms About Autumn · worksheet	Learn autumn idioms like turn over a new leaf and in a nutshell
B1-B2	Halloween Idioms · worksheet	Ten idioms adults use all year, from a ghost town to the graveyard shift
B1-B2	Winter Idioms · worksheet	Ten snow, ice and cold idioms for work, from snowed under to on thin ice
B2-C1	Feelings Idioms · worksheet	Learn 12 idioms for strong feelings, from on cloud nine to on edge
B2-C1	Speak Like Gilmore Girls	Practice natural idioms and collocations from fast-talking scenes