A word search is one of the quickest worksheets to make: a list of words, a grid, and a page to print. Here's how to make one that fits your class or your party, with an answer key.
1. Choose the words
- Pick a theme: this week's spelling words, science vocabulary, characters from a book, or names for a birthday party.
- Ten to fifteen words is right for most puzzles. Younger children do better with eight short words.
- Leave out spaces and punctuation: “ice cream” becomes ICECREAM in the grid.
2. Pick the level
- Easy: words only go across and down. Good for ages 5–7.
- Medium: diagonals too. A good choice for most children and adults.
- Hard: words can also run backwards, which slows everyone down.
3. Make and print it
Type your words, one per line, into the word search maker. It fits them into a grid, fills the gaps with random letters and shows the page. Choose capitals or lowercase, A4 or US Letter, and whether to add the list of words, name and date lines, and an answer key on a second page. Then print it or save it as a PDF.
Want a different grid with the same words, for a second group or to stop copying? Change the puzzle number and you get a new layout. Writing the number down lets you make the same puzzle again later.
Ideas for the classroom
- Hide the word list and give clues instead: “a baby frog” for TADPOLE turns it into a vocabulary test.
- Ask pupils to write a sentence with each word they find.
- For more puzzles, try the crossword maker and sudoku maker.