Type your vocabulary with a clue for each word and get an interlocking crossword to solve on the board or print for the class.
Open the Crossword Builder See all classroom tools
Free. This link opens the tool straight away, with no sign-up.
How it works
- Open the Crossword Builder. A ten-word sample is loaded so you can see how it works.
- Replace it with your own list, one entry per line, written as WORD: clue or WORD, clue. You need at least two words.
- Press Build crossword. The longest word goes in first, and each next word goes where it crosses the most letters. Words that cannot cross any other are left out, and the tool tells you how many.
- Solve it on screen: Check marks letters right or wrong, Reveal fills the grid and Clear empties it. Print gives a clean page without the buttons.
Ideas for your lesson
- Revise a unit’s vocabulary with clues that are definitions, translations or sentences with a gap.
- Print one blank copy for the class, then press Reveal and print again for your answer key.
- Ask students to write the clues for a partner’s crossword.
Good to know
- Only the letters A to Z are used, so spaces and accents are dropped from answers.
- The same list always gives the same grid, and the grid sizes itself to fit.
- Nothing is saved: keep your list in a document if you want to use it again.
- It needs only www.abcwebsites.online.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Crossword Builder free?
Yes. It is marked Free in the ABC toolbox, and this link opens it in your browser with no sign-up.
How do I print an answer key?
Press Reveal to fill the grid, then Print. Print once before revealing for the student copy.
Why were some of my words left out?
A word is only placed where it crosses a word already in the grid. Words with no shared letters are left out; add words that share letters and build again.
Can I choose the grid size?
No. The grid sizes itself to fit the words that interlock.
Related tools
- Word Scramble: timed anagrams with your own words
- Flashcards: decks shared by link or QR code
- Gap-Fill Maker: a cloze exercise from any text
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