Criss-Cross Puzzle Maker

The Criss-Cross Puzzle Maker is a free online criss cross puzzle generator that turns your word list into a printable fill-in puzzle. You type in the words, choose a grid size, and the tool lays them out in a crossword-style grid with no clues. The solver places every word from the list, using the word lengths and the crossings as the only guide.

Everything runs in your browser, and your words are not uploaded or saved. Use it for classroom activities, family game nights, or a quiet printable puzzle for adults. It works as a fill in puzzle maker for any theme, such as fruit, science terms or holiday words.

How to use the Criss-Cross Puzzle Maker

1. Type a title in the Puzzle title box. The default is “Criss-Cross Puzzle”, and the title can be up to 60 characters.
2. In the Your words box, enter at least three words. Separate them with new lines, commas or semicolons. The page recommends 8 to 30 words, and the tool uses up to 40.
3. Open the Largest grid selector and pick 10x10, 12x12, 15x15 (the default), 17x17 or 20x20. A word longer than the grid causes an error that names the word.
4. Open the Head start selector and pick None, One letter filled in, or One word filled in (the default).
5. Click Make Criss-Cross Puzzle. The tool searches for about 1.5 seconds and keeps the best layout. The status line shows how many layouts were tried.
6. If you want a different arrangement, click New Layout. If you change Head start after building, the puzzle updates without a new layout.
7. To solve on screen, click a square and type. Click Check to mark wrong letters in red, Show Answers to fill the grid, or Clear to empty it. Click a word in the list to strike it through as you go.
8. Click Print Puzzle. It prints one sheet with the title, a Name/Date line, an instruction line, the grid and the word list in columns. Click Print Answer Key to print the filled grid on a second sheet.

Both print buttons use your browser’s print dialog, so you can choose your printer and paper settings there.

What is a criss cross puzzle?

A criss-cross puzzle, also called a fill-in or fill-it-in puzzle, gives you an empty grid and the full list of words, but no clues. Your job is to place every word in the grid. The word list is grouped by length, which gives the first hint about where each word belongs.

How do I solve a criss cross puzzle?

Start with a length that has only one word, and write that word into a run of squares of the same length. Then use its crossing letters to place the words that cross it, and repeat until the grid is full. A word of length n only fits a run of n squares, so the number of letters is your first clue.

For example, the built-in fruit example lists FIG as the only 3-letter word, so it can go in at once. The 4-letter words are DATE, KIWI, LIME, PEAR and PLUM, so each 4-square run needs a match from that group. Once FIG and one crossing letter are in place, the other runs get narrower.

How do I make a criss cross puzzle?

Enter your words, choose a grid size, and click Make Criss-Cross Puzzle. The tool tries many random layouts in the chosen square. It keeps the one with all words placed, the most crossings and the tightest grid. You do not need to arrange anything by hand.

What is the difference between a criss cross puzzle and a crossword?

A crossword gives a clue for each word, and the solver works out the word from the clue. A criss-cross puzzle gives no clues, so the word list is the only guide. Both follow the same grid rules: every word crosses at least one other word, and letters touch only where two words cross. This means every run of squares in the grid is exactly one word from the list.

What does the head start option do?

Head start gives you a starting point. None is the hardest setting. One letter filled in fills one crossing square. One word filled in, the default, pre-fills the placed word with the most crossings in the largest same-length group and highlights it in the list.

Frequently asked questions

Can I print criss cross puzzles for adults or kids?

Yes. Suit the puzzle to the solver: use shorter, familiar words and a 10x10 or 12x12 grid for younger players, and longer or more specialised words in a 15x15 or larger grid for adults. Then click Print Puzzle to print it.

Why was one of my words left out?

If a word cannot be placed, it is left out of both the grid and the printed word list, and the status line names it. This keeps the printed puzzle matching the grid. Try New Layout, choose a larger grid, or use a word that shares letters with the others.

Can I make a criss cross puzzle with numbers?

No. Number fill-in puzzles are not supported. Only letters A to Z are kept, and they are shown in capitals.

How many words can I use?

Enter at least three words. The page recommends 8 to 30 words, and the tool uses up to 40. Single-letter entries are skipped with a note, and repeated words are used only once.

Are my words uploaded?

No. Everything runs in your browser, and your words are not uploaded or saved.

Is the criss cross puzzle maker free?

Yes. It is free, there is no sign-up, and you can make and print as many puzzles as you like.

Related tools

• Crossword Maker: Use it when you want a grid with clues for each word instead of a word list.
• Mini Crossword Maker: Use it for a small, quick crossword puzzle.
• Word Search Maker: Use it when you want words hidden in a letter grid for the solver to find.
• Crossword Solver: Use it when you are stuck on a crossword clue and need help finding the answer.
• Codeword Solver: Use it to work through a codeword puzzle where letters are replaced by numbers.
• Word Ladder Maker: Use it to create puzzles where you change one letter at a time to reach a target word.
• Cryptogram Maker: Use it to make a puzzle where a quote is written in a substitute alphabet.