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Crossword Puzzle Maker: Make and Print Your Own Free

Type one word per line, followed by a dash and its clue, for example apple - a red fruit. Press Make the crossword and the words are fitted together into a numbered grid with the Across and Down clues beside it. Press New layout for a different arrangement, then print the puzzle and its answer key.

Free to use, no sign-up. Everything runs in your browser: nothing you type is uploaded.

Write each line as word - clue. A line with only a word works too, and you can type its clue in the list afterwards. Spaces inside a word are removed.

How to use it

  1. Type the words and clues

    Write one word per line, then a dash and the clue, such as river - water that flows to the sea. Words without a clue are fine too. Eight to fifteen words give a nice puzzle.

  2. Press Make the crossword

    The longest word goes in first and the others are fitted across it wherever their letters cross. The grid gets numbered squares, and the Across and Down clues appear beside it.

  3. Edit the clues and try a new layout

    Click any clue to change or write it. Press New layout to see another arrangement of the same words. Tick Show answers to check the filled grid on screen.

  4. Print the puzzle and the answer key

    Press Print. The empty crossword with its clues comes out on the first page and the filled grid with the answers on a second page, ready to hand out or keep.

Ideas for class and home

  • Spelling and vocabulary revision

    Turn this week's spelling words into a crossword and write the clues in your own words. Children think about meaning as well as spelling, and the puzzle is a calm way to finish a lesson.

  • Review for a science or history unit

    List the key terms of the unit with a one-line definition as each clue. The finished crossword works as a quick review sheet before a test, and the answer key makes marking easy.

  • Learning another language

    Put foreign words in the grid and write the clues in the language the class already knows, or the other way around. Letters with accents work, so French, Spanish or German words fit.

  • Birthday and family puzzles

    Make a crossword about the birthday child, the holiday trip or the family. Each clue is a small memory, and a puzzle at every place at the table keeps guests busy.

Printables that go with this tool

Questions and answers

Is the crossword maker free?

Yes. It is free, needs no account or sign-up, and you can make and print as many crosswords as you like.

Can I write my own clues?

Yes. Type each line as word - clue, or click any clue in the list after the puzzle is made and write it there. Your clues are kept when you press New layout.

Why did a word not fit in the grid?

A word needs at least one letter that matches a letter already in the grid. A word that shares none is listed as left out. Press New layout or add a word with common letters.

Where are my words stored?

Your words and clues stay in this page on your own device. Nothing is sent to a server, and closing the page clears them.

English word lists

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Put this tool on your own site

Copy this code into your class page or blog. The tool is free; the small link under it tells your visitors where it comes from.

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