Free crossword puzzle maker. No signup, no watermark, no ads.
Type your answers and clues, or paste a vocabulary list, and this maker builds a real interlocking crossword on a numbered grid. Every answer crosses at a shared letter, clues are sorted into Across and Down, and the answer key is included. Print straight to PDF, download a PNG, or play it online in the browser.
Puzzle setup
How to make a crossword puzzle
1. Enter answers and clues
One entry per line. Put the answer first, then a colon, then the clue – for example SPELLING: writing words letter by letter. A bare word with no clue is allowed. Answers are cleaned to letters only, so spaces and punctuation never break the grid. Up to 40 answers.
2. Generate the grid
Click Generate Crossword. Long answers are placed first, then every remaining answer is fitted where it crosses an existing letter, checked so it never touches a parallel word or runs on past the end of another. If an answer cannot be placed, the tool names it instead of dropping it silently – add a related word or shorten it.
3. Check and rework
Tick Show answers to reveal the solution grid, or Include answers when printing to add a keyed solution page. Reshuffle keeps your entries but tries a fresh layout. Word bank lists the answers under the puzzle for an easier version.
4. Print, save or share
Print / PDF opens a clean worksheet – puzzle and clues on the page, answer key on its own page if you want it. Download PNG gives a crisp image for a worksheet or slide. Share link copies a URL that reopens the exact same crossword.
Why a chat model cannot make your crossword
A chatbot can suggest words and write clues, but packing answers into a legal interlocking grid is a constraint problem: each crossing letter has to agree, nothing may run off the end of another answer, and no accidental two-letter word may appear alongside. Published benchmarks score language models poorly at exactly this. This tool places every answer with a real crossing algorithm, so the grid is correct by construction, and it also renders a print-ready PDF or a pixel-accurate PNG – something a chat window does not do.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make a crossword puzzle?
Type one answer per line, add a clue after a colon if you want one, then click Generate Crossword. Long answers are placed first and the rest are fitted at crossing letters, so the grid interlocks and every clue gets an Across or Down number.
Is the crossword maker really free?
Yes. There is no signup, no account, no watermark and no daily limit. Everything runs in your browser, so your word list and puzzle never leave your device.
Can I print the puzzle or save it as a PDF?
Yes. Click Print / PDF for a clean worksheet, then choose Save as PDF in the print dialog. You can print just the puzzle, or include the answer key on a separate page. Download PNG gives an image instead.
Is there an answer key?
Yes. Tick Show answers to see the filled grid and highlighted clues, and tick Include answers when printing to add the solution to the printable file. The answer key lists which clue each filled letter belongs to.
How many answers can I add?
Up to 40 answers, each 2 to 24 letters. The tool tells you which answers it could not place instead of leaving them out quietly – add a related word that shares letters, or shorten the long one, and regenerate.
Can my students solve it online?
Yes. Switch on Solve online and the grid becomes typable – click a cell and type, move with the arrow keys, and use Check to see your mistakes or Reveal to fill it in. Nothing is submitted anywhere; the grid is solved in the page.
Can I hide or share a puzzle?
Yes. Share link copies a URL that encodes your title and entries, so opening it rebuilds the same crossword. Nothing is stored on a server – the whole puzzle travels inside the link.
What size grid does it use?
Auto fit picks the tightest grid that holds every answer. You can also cap the width so the puzzle fits one letter or A4 page, or leave it open for larger puzzles. The grid size in characters is shown above the preview.
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- Flashcard Maker – study cards from a term list.
- Anagram Solver – find every word from a set of letters.
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