Thanksgiving Crossword
Make a printable Thanksgiving crossword in a few clicks. Start from one of our 4 clue lists, from an easy one with short words like Pie and Hug to a harder one with Cornucopia and Hospitality, or type your own answers and clues. The grid is laid out for you, every answer crosses at least one other, and each puzzle is checked before you print. Add a word bank, grey first letters or letter counts for younger solvers, pick one of our own fall borders in colour or black and white, and download a PDF with the answer key on the next page. Or solve it right here: type in the squares on a phone or a laptop and press Check my answers to see which letters are wrong. For a class or a family table, type the names and each person gets a different grid with the same clues, their name already on the sheet. US Letter or A4, plus a PNG. Free, with no sign-up, no email and no watermark.
Nothing to upload. Crosswords are made in your browser.
Solve on this page
Tap a square or a clue and type. Tap the square again to switch between across and down. Press Check my answers to see which letters are wrong.
Class set: a different grid for each name
Pack: several crosswords in one PDF
Answers and clues
Help on the page
Page
Runs in your browser with our own code: your answers, clues and names never leave your device, and nothing is saved. The grid comes from the same engine as our Crossword Maker: every answer crosses another and each one is checked. The borders are our own drawings. Print at 100% (Actual size).
How to make a Thanksgiving crossword
- Pick a crossword, or choose Your own answers and clues and type one per line, like Turkey: A big bird with a fan of tail feathers.
- Tick the help you want: a word bank, grey first letters or letter counts.
- Choose a border and Colour or Black and white, and add a line under the title if you like.
- Switch to Answer key to check it, or press New layout for a different grid with the same clues.
- Download the PDF (puzzle, then the answer key) and print at 100%. For a class, type the names and download the class set; for several crosswords, tick them and download the pack.
- To solve on screen instead, tap a square or a clue under Solve on this page, type the answers and press Check my answers.
What you can use it for
- A quiet puzzle at the kids’ table while dinner cooks
- The last school day before the Thanksgiving break, one different grid per child
- A harder crossword for grown-ups after the meal
- A puzzle at each place setting with the guest’s name on it
- November activity packs for libraries, clubs and care homes
The 4 crosswords
| Crossword | Ages | Level | Clues | Longest answer (letters) | Starts with |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easy Thanksgiving crossword | Ages 6 to 8, grades 1 to 2 | Easy | 12 | 6 | Turkey, Pie, Corn, Leaf |
| Thanksgiving crossword | Ages 8 to 11, grades 3 to 5 | Medium | 14 | 12 | Thanksgiving, November, Grateful, Harvest |
| The Thanksgiving table | Ages 9 to 12, grades 4 to 6 | Medium | 13 | 14 | Mashed potatoes, Sweet potato, Green beans, Dinner rolls |
| Harder Thanksgiving crossword | Ages 12 and up, grade 7 to grown-ups | Hard | 16 | 11 | Cornucopia, Abundance, Hospitality, Gratitude |
55 clues in all, written by us, with no brand names. The ages and grades are our suggestions from the length of the answers and the wording of the clues. Any list can be edited before you print.
Easy Thanksgiving crossword: ages 6 to 8, grades 1 to 2
12 clues, answers up to 6 letters, starting with Turkey, Pie, Corn, Leaf. Tick Word bank and First letter of each answer in grey for early readers; an adult can read the clues aloud.
Thanksgiving crossword: ages 8 to 11, grades 3 to 5
14 clues, answers up to 12 letters, starting with Thanksgiving, November, Grateful, Harvest. The longest answer is the holiday’s own name. Add the word bank for the younger end of the range.
The Thanksgiving table: ages 9 to 12, grades 4 to 6
13 clues, answers up to 14 letters, starting with Mashed potatoes, Sweet potato, Green beans, Dinner rolls. All food and table words, several of them two words long, like Mashed potatoes: tick Letter counts to show where the second word starts.
Harder Thanksgiving crossword: ages 12 and up, grade 7 to grown-ups
16 clues, answers up to 11 letters, starting with Cornucopia, Abundance, Hospitality, Gratitude. Longer words and one-word clues such as Plentiful. Leave the help off for older solvers, or add letter counts.
Solve on screen
| Button | What it does |
|---|---|
| Tap a square or a clue | Lights up that answer and its clue; type to fill it, and the cursor moves on |
| Tap the square again | Switches between across and down where two answers cross |
| Check my answers | Turns wrong letters red and right ones green, and counts the answers you have right |
| Show the answers | Fills every square |
| Clear the grid | Empties every square to start again |
The on-screen grid is the same puzzle as the preview and the PDF, so a child can solve it on a tablet while someone else works on paper. Letters are checked without accents or capitals, and nothing you type is saved.
Grid sizes
| Crossword | Grid | Across | Down | Crossings | Square on US Letter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easy Thanksgiving crossword | 12 × 12 | 6 | 6 | 11 | 10 mm |
| Thanksgiving crossword | 18 × 17 | 7 | 7 | 16 | 6.3 mm |
| The Thanksgiving table | 20 × 16 | 6 | 7 | 16 | 5.6 mm |
| Harder Thanksgiving crossword | 20 × 15 | 8 | 8 | 19 | 5.5 mm |
Worked out by the tool for one puzzle code each, with the word bank on. Each press of New layout gives a different grid; in a test of 40 layouts per list, every answer was placed and every puzzle passed the check. When the clues need more room than one page leaves, they continue on a second page instead of shrinking the squares below 5.5 mm.
Help for younger solvers
| Option | What it adds |
|---|---|
| Word bank | Every answer, in alphabetical order, under the grid |
| First letters | The first letter of each answer printed in light grey in its starting square |
| Letter counts | The number of letters after each clue, like (6), or (5,4) for two words |
| Large print | Bigger clues and squares where the page has room |
The answer key leaves all the help out and fills in every square.
Class sets and packs
A class set uses the clues you have on screen and makes a different grid for each name, up to 40 names. A pack makes one crossword from each list you tick. Both put the answer keys at the back, so you can print the puzzles on their own.
More Thanksgiving puzzles and printables
For any other topic, use the Crossword Maker. Turn the same words into a word search or bingo cards.
- Name cards for each seat: Place Card Template.
- A menu for the table: Menu Maker.
- A certificate for the fastest solver: Certificate Maker.
More free Thanksgiving printables
Planning a Thanksgiving activity?
Puzzles, place cards and menus that run in your browser: free, with no sign-up and no watermark.
See all free tools →Frequently asked questions
Is this Thanksgiving crossword free?
Yes. There is no sign-up, no email and no watermark, and you can make as many crosswords as you like.
Is there an answer key?
Yes. The PDF has the puzzle first and the answer key after it, with every square filled in and every answer listed beside its clue. Packs and class sets put all the answer keys at the back.
When is Thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving Day in the United States is the fourth Thursday of November: Thursday, November 26, 2026, and Thursday, November 25, 2027, as the U.S. Office of Personnel Management lists them.
Which crossword suits young children?
The easy crossword is written for ages 6 to 8, grades 1 to 2: 12 short answers with simple clues. Tick Word bank under the grid and First letter of each answer in grey, and children can solve it with a little help.
Which crossword is for which age?
Easy Thanksgiving crossword: ages 6 to 8, grades 1 to 2; Thanksgiving crossword: ages 8 to 11, grades 3 to 5; The Thanksgiving table: ages 9 to 12, grades 4 to 6; Harder Thanksgiving crossword: ages 12 and up, grade 7 to grown-ups. These are our suggestions from the length of the answers and the wording of the clues; any list can be edited.
Can we solve it on a phone or a laptop?
Yes. Under Solve on this page, tap a square or a clue and type. Tap the same square again to switch between across and down. Check my answers turns wrong letters red and counts the answers you have right; Show the answers fills the grid, and Clear the grid starts again. Nothing you type is saved or sent.
Can I write my own clues?
Yes. Choose Your own answers and clues and type one per line: the answer, a colon, then the clue, such as Grandma: Makes the best pie. Answers can be two words, like Sweet potato: the space is left out of the grid.
Why was one of my answers left out?
Every answer has to cross another one through a shared letter. If an answer shares no letters with the rest, the tool says which one it left out, so nothing is dropped quietly. Add a word that shares letters with it, or remove it.
Will every answer fit its number?
Yes. The numbers are given in reading order, one per starting square, and each puzzle is checked so that every answer reads correctly from its number and every run of letters in the grid is a real answer.
How does the class set work?
Type the names, one per line, and press Class set PDF. Each person gets the same clues in a different grid, with their name printed on the sheet, so neighbours cannot copy. The answer keys follow, one per name.
How do I make the same crossword again?
Note the puzzle code under the preview (it is also on the answer key). Type it back into Puzzle code with the same clues to get the same grid.
Can children colour the border?
Yes. Choose Black and white, to colour in: the leaves, acorns, pumpkins, corn, wheat and pies print as black outlines on white.
Can I use the crosswords in class or sell them?
Yes. The designs are our own drawings: you may use them and anything you make with them, including things you sell, with no credit needed.
Are my clues and names uploaded?
No. The crossword and the PDF are made in your browser and nothing is saved.