Idioms: Money and Business
Money and business idioms is the B2 financial-figurative collection. Break the bank (cost too much), pay through the nose (pay a lot), cost an arm and a leg (very expensive), on a shoestring (with little money), in the red (in debt), in the black (profitable), make ends meet (manage with limited money), splash out (spend lavishly), tighten your belt (spend less), bring home the bacon (earn a living), money doesn’t grow on trees (money is limited). Learners build the money-idiom range.
This worksheet builds B2 fluency with money-and-business idioms.
Worksheet preview
What’s inside:
- An idiom bank with 18 money expressions
- Matching task: idiom to meaning
- Gap-fill in financial conversation contexts
- Production task: write a paragraph about a financial situation using three idioms
- Full Answer Key plus Teacher Notes
Common challenges: Direction (gain/loss) is the central distinction — splash out (spend lavishly) vs tighten your belt (spend less). Personal vs business application: some idioms (bring home the bacon) are personal; others (in the red) work for both. Frequency: cost an arm and a leg (high), money doesn’t grow on trees (medium).
For: Adult and teenage learners (14+) at CEFR B2, in upper-intermediate classes, 1:1 lessons, or self-study. Maps onto Cambridge B2 First (FCE) Reading-Use of English and BEC Vantage. Part of the Time, Work & Money Idioms collection — the natural next step is Idioms: Time Expressions.
Every worksheet you'll ever need — ready to teach.
Stop building from scratch. 324 classroom-ready worksheets, every level, with answer keys and teacher notes on every sheet.
