Hard Crossword Puzzles for Seniors: Free Large Print Printables With Answers
Ready for a real challenge? Here are 4 free, challenging crossword puzzles in large print, made for sharp minds. Big 17 by 17 grids, about 20 answers each, and trickier clues about the music, movies, places and history you know best. Print the free PDF with a separate answer key, or play online right here.
These are tricky ones. Sharpen your pencil!
The PDF has 12 large print pages: for each puzzle, a full-page grid and a page of clues, then 4 answer key pages at the end.
What’s inside
Puzzle 1: Rock and Roll Years
Music of the 1950s and 1960s, from doo-wop to Woodstock.
21 answers · 11 across, 10 down · medium to hard
Puzzle 2: Silver Screen Classics
Movies and movie stars of the 1950s and 1960s.
21 answers · 10 across, 11 down · medium to hard
Puzzle 3: Across America
U.S. geography: states, capitals, rivers, parks and landmarks.
22 answers · 14 across, 8 down · medium to hard
Puzzle 4: American History
People, places and moments from American history.
19 answers · 9 across, 10 down · medium to hard
Play the crosswords online (free, no download)
Tap a white square or a clue, then type. Tap the same square again, or press the space bar, to switch between across and down. Press Check my letters any time.
Across
Down
Your letters are saved on this device only, so you can come back later. Nothing is sent to us.
Tips for tricky crosswords
- Start with what you know. Fill in the easy answers first. Their letters help with the hard ones.
- Count the letters. The numbers in parentheses, like (4,5), tell you the length of each word.
- Watch for a question mark. It means the clue is a pun, so think sideways.
- Use a pencil, and take a break. Answers often pop into your head later.
- Solve together. At a senior center, put one puzzle on a big screen and let the room call out answers.
Want something gentler? Try our easy large print crossword puzzles, the printable brain games with answers or the large print word searches. For a Halloween party, there’s Halloween bingo, trivia and more.
Questions people ask
How hard are these crossword puzzles?
Medium to hard. Each puzzle is a big 17 by 17 grid with about 20 answers (83 in all), and many answers are two or three words long. The clues expect you to know your oldies, classic movies, U.S. geography and history, and some clues are word play.
What does a question mark at the end of a clue mean?
Just like in newspaper crosswords, a question mark means the clue is a pun or a play on words. Don’t take it too literally.
What do the numbers in parentheses mean?
They tell you how many letters are in each word of the answer. (6,7) means the answer is two words: a 6-letter word and then a 7-letter word. Write the letters with no spaces in the grid.
Are these crosswords really large print?
Yes. Each grid fills a whole printed page with big squares, and the clues are printed in large type on their own page, so you can lay them side by side.
Is there an answer key?
Yes. The answer keys are on separate pages at the end of the PDF, one page per puzzle, with the filled-in grid and a list of every answer. No peeking until you are stuck!
Can I play these crosswords online?
Yes. Play right on this page on a computer, tablet or phone, with no download and no sign-up. Tap a square or a clue and type. You can check your letters or reveal one word if you get stuck, and your progress is saved on your device.
Can I print copies for my senior center, library or club?
Yes. They are free to print and copy for non-commercial use at home, senior centers, libraries, churches, retirement communities and clubs. Please don’t sell them.
Do crossword puzzles help memory?
Many people enjoy crosswords as a fun mental challenge, but we don’t make health promises, and you should be careful of any site that does. If you are worried about memory changes, talk with your doctor.
Find more free printable activities for seniors, and get the free newsletter to hear when new puzzles arrive.
Puzzle 1: Rock and Roll Years
Music of the 1950s and 1960s, from doo-wop to Woodstock. Medium to hard. Clues are on the next page.
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Puzzle 1: Rock and Roll Years: Clues
Numbers in parentheses give the letters in each word. A question mark means word play.
Across
- 1. Liverpool quartet who wanted to hold your hand (7)
- 3. Harmony style born on city street corners (3,3)
- 5. A 45 or an LP, materially speaking? (5)
- 7. 1969 festival on a dairy farm in Bethel, New York (9)
- 8. School dance where shoes came off to save the gym floor (4,3)
- 11. Diner machine that played a song for a nickel or a dime (7)
- 15. "Mack the Knife" singer of 1959 (5,5)
- 17. He had "Georgia on My Mind" in 1960 (3,7)
- 18. Queen of Soul, who asked for a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T (6)
- 20. Detroit record label nicknamed Hitsville U.S.A. (6)
- 21. 1959 Isley Brothers hit heard at countless wedding receptions (5)
Down
- 2. The King, who was "All Shook Up" in 1957 (5)
- 4. "The Great Pretender" group, named for records? (8)
- 6. Sunday night host who promised a "really big shew" (2,8)
- 9. He got the whole country doing "The Twist" (6,7)
- 10. Country star who went "Crazy" in 1961? (5,5)
- 12. "Oh, Pretty Woman" singer in dark glasses (3,7)
- 13. Kind of pocket radio that took rock and roll to the beach (10)
- 14. Ol' Blue Eyes (7)
- 16. California group that picked up "Good Vibrations" (5,4)
- 19. Mr. Starr, behind the drum kit (5)
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Puzzle 2: Silver Screen Classics
Movies and movie stars of the 1950s and 1960s. Medium to hard. Clues are on the next page.
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Puzzle 2: Silver Screen Classics: Clues
Numbers in parentheses give the letters in each word. A question mark means word play.
Across
- 1. 1959 epic whose chariot race helped it win 11 Oscars (3,3)
- 3. 1958 Jimmy Stewart thriller about a fear of heights (7)
- 5. "Pillow Talk" star who sang "Que Sera, Sera" (5,3)
- 6. Hollywood's 13.5-inch golden guy (5)
- 8. Afternoon showing, often at a bargain price (7)
- 10. 1963 epic in which Elizabeth Taylor played the Queen of the Nile (9)
- 13. 1960 film that made people nervous about motel showers (6)
- 16. 1965 film in which the hills are alive (3,5,2,5)
- 17. Monroe of "Some Like It Hot" (7)
- 18. "Rebel Without a Cause" star (5,4)
Down
- 1. Humphrey of "The African Queen" (6)
- 2. Hepburn who had breakfast at Tiffany's (6)
- 4. 1956 Texas oil epic starring Rock Hudson (5)
- 7. 1961 musical with the Jets, the Sharks and "Tonight" (4,4,5)
- 8. 1964 nanny who arrived by umbrella (4,7)
- 9. Vivid film process that made Oz look so bright (11)
- 10. Star chased by a crop duster in "North by Northwest" (4,5)
- 11. 1960 film in which everyone claims to be the title gladiator (9)
- 12. "Rear Window" star who became a real princess (5,5)
- 14. Snack that gets buttered up at the movies? (7)
- 15. 1954 monster who stomped out of Japan (8)
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Puzzle 3: Across America
U.S. geography: states, capitals, rivers, parks and landmarks. Medium to hard. Clues are on the next page.
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Puzzle 3: Across America: Clues
Numbers in parentheses give the letters in each word. A question mark means word play.
Across
- 1. Range along much of the Continental Divide (7)
- 3. Alaska capital with no road to the rest of the state (6)
- 4. Hook-shaped peninsula in Massachusetts (4,3)
- 6. Falls on the New York and Ontario border (7)
- 7. Florida's "River of Grass" (10)
- 11. Largest state by area (6)
- 13. Capital of Idaho (5)
- 14. Great Lake that gave its name to a famous canal (4)
- 15. Only state made up entirely of islands (6)
- 16. The Buckeye State (4)
- 17. First national park, home of Old Faithful (11)
- 18. Capital of New York (not the big city!) (6)
- 19. South Dakota capital that sounds like "peer" (6)
- 20. ___ Trail, a footpath from Georgia to Maine (11)
Down
- 1. Smallest state, though it isn't really an island? (5,6)
- 2. The Lone Star State (5)
- 4. Bay famous for Maryland blue crabs (10)
- 5. Only state that borders just one other state (5)
- 8. Arizona chasm carved by the Colorado River (5,6)
- 9. Home of Badwater Basin, 282 feet below sea level (5,6)
- 10. Spot where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah meet (4,7)
- 12. River that begins at Lake Itasca in Minnesota (11)
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Puzzle 4: American History
People, places and moments from American history. Medium to hard. Clues are on the next page.
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Puzzle 4: American History: Clues
Numbers in parentheses give the letters in each word. A question mark means word play.
Across
- 2. Immigration station in New York Harbor, 1892 to 1954 (5,6)
- 7. Henry Ford's "Tin Lizzie" (5,1)
- 8. 1944 law that sent millions of veterans to college (2,4)
- 10. Explorers who reached the Pacific in 1805 (5,3,5)
- 12. Her 1955 arrest sparked the Montgomery bus boycott (4,5)
- 15. First permanent English settlement in America, 1607 (9)
- 17. President who began "Four score and seven years ago" (7)
- 18. NASA program that landed men on the Moon (6)
- 19. Wagon route west from Missouri in the 1840s (6,5)
Down
- 1. Ship that brought the Pilgrims to Plymouth in 1620 (9)
- 3. 1957 Soviet satellite that kicked off the space race (7)
- 4. Right to vote, won nationwide by women in 1920 (8)
- 5. 1849 California stampede of fortune seekers (4,4)
- 6. Samuel Morse's dot-and-dash machine (9)
- 9. Neil, who took "one small step" in 1969 (9)
- 11. Document signed in Philadelphia in 1787 (12)
- 13. 1825 waterway that linked Albany and Buffalo (4,5)
- 14. FDR's Depression-era programs (3,4)
- 16. Texas mission everyone was told to remember? (5)
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Answer key: Puzzle 1: Rock and Roll Years
| B | E | A | T | L | E | S | D | O | O | W | O | P | ||||
| L | L | |||||||||||||||
| V | I | N | Y | L | E | A | ||||||||||
| I | W | O | O | D | S | T | O | C | K | |||||||
| S | O | C | K | H | O | P | S | T | ||||||||
| H | A | J | U | K | E | B | O | X | ||||||||
| R | U | T | T | L | R | |||||||||||
| O | B | S | R | L | S | S | ||||||||||
| Y | B | O | B | B | Y | D | A | R | I | N | I | |||||
| O | Y | E | C | N | V | N | ||||||||||
| R | A | Y | C | H | A | R | L | E | S | A | R | E | T | H | A | |
| B | H | C | I | I | N | T | ||||||||||
| I | E | H | N | S | R | R | ||||||||||
| S | C | B | E | T | I | A | ||||||||||
| O | K | O | M | O | T | O | W | N | ||||||||
| N | E | Y | R | G | ||||||||||||
| R | S | S | H | O | U | T |
Across
- 1 Across: BEATLES
- 3 Across: DOO WOP
- 5 Across: VINYL
- 7 Across: WOODSTOCK
- 8 Across: SOCK HOP
- 11 Across: JUKEBOX
- 15 Across: BOBBY DARIN
- 17 Across: RAY CHARLES
- 18 Across: ARETHA
- 20 Across: MOTOWN
- 21 Across: SHOUT
Down
- 2 Down: ELVIS
- 4 Down: PLATTERS
- 6 Down: ED SULLIVAN
- 9 Down: CHUBBY CHECKER
- 10 Down: PATSY CLINE
- 12 Down: ROY ORBISON
- 13 Down: TRANSISTOR
- 14 Down: SINATRA
- 16 Down: BEACH BOYS
- 19 Down: RINGO
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Answer key: Puzzle 2: Silver Screen Classics
| B | E | N | H | U | R | A | ||||||||||
| V | E | R | T | I | G | O | G | U | ||||||||
| G | D | O | R | I | S | D | A | Y | ||||||||
| O | S | C | A | R | A | R | ||||||||||
| W | R | M | A | T | I | N | E | E | ||||||||
| C | L | E | O | P | A | T | R | A | E | T | Y | |||||
| A | S | R | C | S | ||||||||||||
| R | T | G | P | S | Y | C | H | O | P | |||||||
| Y | S | R | P | N | A | |||||||||||
| G | I | A | P | O | I | R | G | |||||||||
| R | D | C | O | P | C | T | O | |||||||||
| A | E | E | P | P | O | A | D | |||||||||
| N | S | K | C | I | L | C | Z | |||||||||
| T | T | H | E | S | O | U | N | D | O | F | M | U | S | I | C | |
| O | L | R | S | R | S | L | ||||||||||
| M | A | R | I | L | Y | N | L | |||||||||
| Y | Y | J | A | M | E | S | D | E | A | N |
Across
- 1 Across: BEN HUR
- 3 Across: VERTIGO
- 5 Across: DORIS DAY
- 6 Across: OSCAR
- 8 Across: MATINEE
- 10 Across: CLEOPATRA
- 13 Across: PSYCHO
- 16 Across: THE SOUND OF MUSIC
- 17 Across: MARILYN
- 18 Across: JAMES DEAN
Down
- 1 Down: BOGART
- 2 Down: AUDREY
- 4 Down: GIANT
- 7 Down: WEST SIDE STORY
- 8 Down: MARY POPPINS
- 9 Down: TECHNICOLOR
- 10 Down: CARY GRANT
- 11 Down: SPARTACUS
- 12 Down: GRACE KELLY
- 14 Down: POPCORN
- 15 Down: GODZILLA
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Answer key: Puzzle 3: Across America
| R | O | C | K | I | E | S | T | |||||||||
| H | J | U | N | E | A | U | ||||||||||
| O | C | A | P | E | C | O | D | X | M | |||||||
| D | H | N | I | A | G | A | R | A | ||||||||
| E | V | E | R | G | L | A | D | E | S | S | I | |||||
| I | S | R | E | F | N | |||||||||||
| S | A | L | A | S | K | A | M | B | O | I | S | E | ||||
| L | P | N | T | I | U | |||||||||||
| A | E | D | H | S | E | R | I | E | ||||||||
| N | A | C | V | S | C | |||||||||||
| D | K | A | H | A | W | A | I | I | O | H | I | O | ||||
| E | N | L | S | R | ||||||||||||
| Y | E | L | L | O | W | S | T | O | N | E | ||||||
| O | E | I | E | |||||||||||||
| A | L | B | A | N | Y | Y | P | I | E | R | R | E | ||||
| P | S | |||||||||||||||
| A | P | P | A | L | A | C | H | I | A | N |
Across
- 1 Across: ROCKIES
- 3 Across: JUNEAU
- 4 Across: CAPE COD
- 6 Across: NIAGARA
- 7 Across: EVERGLADES
- 11 Across: ALASKA
- 13 Across: BOISE
- 14 Across: ERIE
- 15 Across: HAWAII
- 16 Across: OHIO
- 17 Across: YELLOWSTONE
- 18 Across: ALBANY
- 19 Across: PIERRE
- 20 Across: APPALACHIAN
Down
- 1 Down: RHODE ISLAND
- 2 Down: TEXAS
- 4 Down: CHESAPEAKE
- 5 Down: MAINE
- 8 Down: GRAND CANYON
- 9 Down: DEATH VALLEY
- 10 Down: FOUR CORNERS
- 12 Down: MISSISSIPPI
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Answer key: Puzzle 4: American History
| M | E | L | L | I | S | I | S | L | A | N | D | |||||
| A | P | U | G | |||||||||||||
| Y | T | U | F | O | ||||||||||||
| F | M | O | D | E | L | T | F | G | I | B | I | L | L | |||
| L | L | N | R | D | ||||||||||||
| O | A | L | E | W | I | S | A | N | D | C | L | A | R | K | ||
| W | R | G | K | G | O | U | ||||||||||
| E | M | R | E | N | S | |||||||||||
| R | O | S | A | P | A | R | K | S | E | S | H | |||||
| T | P | R | T | N | ||||||||||||
| R | H | I | I | E | ||||||||||||
| O | J | A | M | E | S | T | O | W | N | |||||||
| A | N | C | U | D | ||||||||||||
| L | G | A | T | E | ||||||||||||
| A | L | I | N | C | O | L | N | I | A | |||||||
| M | A | P | O | L | L | O | ||||||||||
| O | R | E | G | O | N | T | R | A | I | L | N |
Across
- 2 Across: ELLIS ISLAND
- 7 Across: MODEL T
- 8 Across: GI BILL
- 10 Across: LEWIS AND CLARK
- 12 Across: ROSA PARKS
- 15 Across: JAMESTOWN
- 17 Across: LINCOLN
- 18 Across: APOLLO
- 19 Across: OREGON TRAIL
Down
- 1 Down: MAYFLOWER
- 3 Down: SPUTNIK
- 4 Down: SUFFRAGE
- 5 Down: GOLD RUSH
- 6 Down: TELEGRAPH
- 9 Down: ARMSTRONG
- 11 Down: CONSTITUTION
- 13 Down: ERIE CANAL
- 14 Down: NEW DEAL
- 16 Down: ALAMO
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