Famous Inventions Crossword Puzzles: Free Printable and Online

Uncover the ingenuity behind groundbreaking discoveries. From the wheel to the internet, explore world-changing inventions.

Print any famous inventions crossword below, download it as a PDF, or play it online. Free, and no signup is needed to play.

8 puzzles, click Print on any puzzle below

Famous Inventions

Medium · 11×11 · 10 words
Play online →

Printing for a class?

Print 2 or 4 versions of this puzzle with different grid layouts, so desk neighbors cannot copy answers. Same words and clues, and each version has its own answer key. Class sets are a Plus feature in the Grid Genius app.

Make a class set →
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Across

  1. 1. Engine-driven machine that replaced horses on farms
  2. 7. The Daguerreotype was an early form of this device
  3. 8. Morton demonstrated this to end surgical pain
  4. 9. Laennec's tool for listening to the human heart
  5. 10. Marconi's system for wireless communication

Down

  1. 2. Baird's invention for broadcasting moving images
  2. 3. System using radio waves to detect distant objects
  3. 4. Watt improved the steam version of this power source
  4. 5. The tiny semiconductor that sparked the digital revolution
  5. 6. Maiman's device for creating a focused beam of light

Famous Inventions

Hard · 11×11 · 9 words
Play online →

Printing for a class?

Print 2 or 4 versions of this puzzle with different grid layouts, so desk neighbors cannot copy answers. Same words and clues, and each version has its own answer key. Class sets are a Plus feature in the Grid Genius app.

Make a class set →
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

Across

  1. 2. Light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation
  2. 5. Adolphe's brassy woodwind hybrid
  3. 7. Edison's peephole into moving pictures
  4. 8. Seeing with echoes in the dark
  5. 9. A soft landing for a high flyer

Down

  1. 1. Bakeland's synthetic legacy of a thousand uses
  2. 3. A chesty listener that keeps the heart in check
  3. 4. The first time sound was etched in stone or wax
  4. 6. Otis gave this invention its ups and downs

Famous Inventions

Hard · 11×11 · 10 words
Play online →

Printing for a class?

Print 2 or 4 versions of this puzzle with different grid layouts, so desk neighbors cannot copy answers. Same words and clues, and each version has its own answer key. Class sets are a Plus feature in the Grid Genius app.

Make a class set →
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

Across

  1. 1. Distant sound makes one 'phone home,' perhaps.
  2. 2. Writing tool, or 'pen' and 'cil' for drawing.
  3. 6. Seeing the small, or a 'scope' for the 'micro' world.
  4. 8. A hot worker, creating power from water's breath.
  5. 9. Initially, a press for mass production of lies, perhaps?

Down

  1. 1. Distant viewer, or a 'scope' for the 'tele' vision.
  2. 3. Processing data, or 'put in' 'com'putations.
  3. 4. A point for wanderers, but not in a storm.
  4. 5. To turn earth over, or 'low' in the field.
  5. 7. What turns around in a grand scheme?

Famous Inventions

Hard · 11×11 · 10 words
Play online →

Printing for a class?

Print 2 or 4 versions of this puzzle with different grid layouts, so desk neighbors cannot copy answers. Same words and clues, and each version has its own answer key. Class sets are a Plus feature in the Grid Genius app.

Make a class set →
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Across

  1. 1. Invisible waves that see through the thickest clouds.
  2. 6. Beads on a wire that add up to something significant.
  3. 7. Baird's box that sees the world but has no eyes.
  4. 8. Listening for the bottom of the world.
  5. 9. A face with hands but no voice to speak.
  6. 10. Lumiere's magic that moves in the dark.

Down

  1. 2. Alfred's boom that funded a peaceful legacy.
  2. 3. Making a big deal out of the very small.
  3. 4. It provides a ring but offers no finger.
  4. 5. Dots and dashes that bridged the Atlantic gap.

Famous Inventions

Medium · 11×11 · 11 words
Play online →

Printing for a class?

Print 2 or 4 versions of this puzzle with different grid layouts, so desk neighbors cannot copy answers. Same words and clues, and each version has its own answer key. Class sets are a Plus feature in the Grid Genius app.

Make a class set →
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11

Across

  1. 1. Gutenberg's machine for spreading the written word
  2. 6. Scientific instrument for exploring the tiny
  3. 8. Substance used to prevent infection in wounds
  4. 10. A concentrated beam of light with many uses
  5. 11. Detection system used by pilots and meteorologists

Down

  1. 2. The only way to get a payload into orbit
  2. 3. The vapor that powered the first locomotives
  3. 4. Edison's bright idea for banishing the dark
  4. 5. Small electronic switch that changed everything
  5. 7. A medical shield against infectious diseases
  6. 9. It captures a single moment in time forever

Famous Inventions

Medium · 11×11 · 12 words
Play online →

Printing for a class?

Print 2 or 4 versions of this puzzle with different grid layouts, so desk neighbors cannot copy answers. Same words and clues, and each version has its own answer key. Class sets are a Plus feature in the Grid Genius app.

Make a class set →
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11

Across

  1. 1. It always points the way for the lost traveler
  2. 5. Gutenberg's machine for mass-producing words
  3. 6. It uses radio echoes to track distant objects
  4. 8. The tiny switch that made modern gadgets possible
  5. 9. A mechanical tracker of passing moments
  6. 10. High-speed propulsion for crossing oceans
  7. 11. Moving pictures on a grand theatrical scale

Down

  1. 2. It brought the invisible world into focus
  2. 3. It amplifies the rhythmic beating of a heart
  3. 4. Focused light that can cut or heal
  4. 5. The moldable material that defined an era
  5. 7. The invention that made the world a smaller place

Famous Inventions

Easy · 11×11 · 10 words
Play online →

Printing for a class?

Print 2 or 4 versions of this puzzle with different grid layouts, so desk neighbors cannot copy answers. Same words and clues, and each version has its own answer key. Class sets are a Plus feature in the Grid Genius app.

Make a class set →
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Across

  1. 1. Lift that carries people up and down in buildings.
  2. 8. Portable device used for solving math problems.
  3. 10. Equipment used to capture and save photographs.

Down

  1. 2. Measurement tool used to check your temperature.
  2. 3. Box used for listening to music and news broadcasts.
  3. 4. Famous medicine used to treat many infections.
  4. 5. Man-made object that orbits around the Earth.
  5. 6. Cleaning tool that sucks up dirt from floors.
  6. 7. Water vessel powered by a steam engine.
  7. 9. System that uses radio waves to find airplanes.

Famous Inventions

Hard · 11×11 · 11 words
Play online →

Printing for a class?

Print 2 or 4 versions of this puzzle with different grid layouts, so desk neighbors cannot copy answers. Same words and clues, and each version has its own answer key. Class sets are a Plus feature in the Grid Genius app.

Make a class set →
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11

Across

  1. 2. Watt's power, a vital part of history's engine.
  2. 7. Pain reliever, eases the ache in a sane way.
  3. 8. Underwater vessel, a marine bun, perhaps.
  4. 9. Jenner's shield, protects against a cruel vice.
  5. 10. Marconi's wireless wonder, a broadcast from within.
  6. 11. Ancient invention, turns things around.

Down

  1. 1. Primal discovery, ignites warmth and light.
  2. 3. Keys to communication, often quiet at first.
  3. 4. Roentgen's vision, sees right through you.
  4. 5. Ford's moving creation, a true mobility marvel.
  5. 6. Captures moments, an early mirror image.

Make your own Famous Inventions crossword

Turn your own word list into a crossword with the free Grid Genius maker. Print it with an answer key or share a playable link with your class. No account needed.

Make your own Famous Inventions crossword

Related Printable Crossword Topics

Famous Inventions Crossword FAQ

Is this Famous Inventions crossword puzzle free?

Yes. Every Famous Inventions crossword on this page is free. You can print it, download it as a PDF, or play it online without paying anything or creating an account.

Can I print the Famous Inventions crossword?

Yes. Click Print on any puzzle for a print-ready page with the grid, the clues, and a name and date line, or use Download to save it as a PDF, PNG, or JPEG for photocopying. The PDF download includes a filled answer key on the last page for grading.

Can students play these crosswords online?

Yes. Every puzzle has a Play online link that opens in the browser on any device. No app install and no signup is needed to play, which makes it easy to share with a class.

Can I make my own Famous Inventions crossword?

Yes. The free Grid Genius crossword maker builds a puzzle from your own words and clues, with a printable grid and answer key. The Grid Genius app can also generate a complete crossword from any topic you type.