A garden word hunt
seed root stem leaf flower soil water light
FREE TO MAKE. YOURS TO ADAPT.
Word search maker
Turn a spelling or topic list into a word search you can play, print and share. Every word is placed, and the answer key uses the same puzzle layout.
✓ No sign-up✓ Print or play✓ Your own words
Make your activity ↓YOUR ACTIVITY SET
Your list has edits. Update the activities when you’re ready.
Read the guide for this tool →
Learning looks good on paper, too.
MAKE IT WORK FOR YOUR LESSON
How to use the word search maker
- Enter 3–24 words in the fields, or paste a list. Add optional clues if you also want to reuse the list in the other activities.
- Choose Easy for across and down, Medium to add downward diagonals, or Hard for all eight directions. Create the activities.
- To play, select either end of a word and then its other end. On a keyboard, use arrow keys to move and Enter or Space to select.
- Choose Print for a student sheet and a separate highlighted key. Make a fresh version when you want a different arrangement.
Try a word search example
Load an editable starter list, then change it to suit your lesson.
Weather vocabulary
cloud | A mass of tiny water droplets in the sky rain | Water falling from clouds wind | Moving air frost | A thin layer of ice crystals storm | Weather with strong wind or heavy precipitation snow | Ice crystals that fall in flakes mist | Tiny water droplets near the ground sunshine | Light from the Sun
Choose difficulty by task, not just age
Start with familiar, shorter words and across-and-down directions when learners are new to grids. Add diagonals or backwards words when they can already recognise the spellings. A harder grid adds a visual-search challenge; it does not check whether a learner understands a word.
Make finding the word the beginning
After a learner finds a word, ask them to say it, explain it, use it in a sentence, or write it from memory. Add your own clues once, then reuse the same list in matching or flashcards for a task that checks meaning or recall.
Know what appears in the grid
Spaces, apostrophes and hyphens are left out of the grid. Letters are uppercased and accents are retained; the displayed word bank keeps your original spelling. Long lists may create a larger grid. On narrow screens, a wide puzzle scrolls inside its own frame.
Questions about word search
Will all my words fit?
The generator records a placement for every accepted word. It grows the grid when necessary rather than silently leaving words out. Use 2–18 Latin letters per entry.
Can I save the worksheet as a PDF?
Choose Print, preview the sheets, then select your browser’s Save as PDF destination. Use portrait orientation and disable browser headers and footers. The preview can include a separate key.