World History Crossword Puzzles: Free Printable and Online

Test your knowledge of ancient civilizations and global events with our challenging World History crossword puzzles, exclusively on Grid Genius.

Print any world history 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

World History

Easy · 11×11 · 12 words
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Printing for a class?

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Across

  1. 1. Weapon with a long shaft and a sharp pointed tip
  2. 3. Person forced to work for another without pay in history
  3. 7. European period of great artistic and cultural rebirth
  4. 9. Ancient Mexican people who built the city of Tenochtitlan
  5. 11. Large heavy gun used in old warfare to fire metal balls

Down

  1. 1. A ruler of a Muslim state or the Ottoman Empire
  2. 2. A long journey involving travel by sea
  3. 4. Ancient Egyptian tomb built of stone with a square base
  4. 5. Governing body of lawmakers in ancient Rome
  5. 6. Person who attacked and robbed ships at sea
  6. 8. Greek city state known for its powerful military training
  7. 10. Small flat piece of metal used as money throughout history

World History

Hard · 11×11 · 14 words
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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.

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Across

  1. 1. Empire built on floating gardens and a heavily bleeding heart.
  2. 5. Andean architects who really knew how to string along their data.
  3. 7. Ancient society whose long count caused modern panic.
  4. 9. A monumental triangle that took decades of block-chaining.
  5. 10. Ruler whose title sounds like a harsh blemish.
  6. 11. Ancient military state where boys were raised with serious discipline issues.
  7. 12. The cradle of Western civilization that could use some oil.
  8. 13. Medieval property that sounds like a rhyming thief.

Down

  1. 2. A binding document that historians watch get broken.
  2. 3. Nomadic terrors led by a man known as the Scourge of God.
  3. 4. Classic capital where all roads eventually led to traffic jams.
  4. 6. Retainer who would rather lose his head than his honor.
  5. 8. Imperial German who might be found in a bakery.
  6. 9. The original viral infection that drastically reduced feudal populations.

World History

Medium · 11×11 · 14 words
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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.

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Across

  1. 2. Nahuatl-speaking empire of central Mexico
  2. 4. Rival of ancient Athens known for military might
  3. 6. Civilization famous for its complex Long Count calendar
  4. 8. Political upheaval often involving the guillotine in France
  5. 10. Title abdicated by Wilhelm II
  6. 12. Powers aligned against the Big Three in WWII
  7. 13. Ancient Mediterranean cradle of democracy

Down

  1. 1. Builders of Machu Picchu
  2. 3. Autocrat of the Winter Palace
  3. 4. Warrior bound by the code of Bushido
  4. 5. Victor coalition in both World Wars
  5. 7. Holy war ordered by Pope Urban II
  6. 9. Longship sailor of the Middle Ages
  7. 11. Empire famously not built in a day

World History

Easy · 11×11 · 16 words
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Printing for a class?

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Across

  1. 1. Bladed weapon used by ancient soldiers
  2. 5. Greek city-state known for philosophy
  3. 7. Large group of states under one ruler
  4. 10. Two-wheeled vehicle drawn by horses
  5. 11. Nation that cooperates with another
  6. 13. Norse seafarer and explorer
  7. 14. Ancient kingdom known for the pyramids
  8. 15. Mesoamerican civilization known for its calendar

Down

  1. 2. Armed conflict between nations
  2. 3. Ancient empire centered in Italy
  3. 4. Ruler of ancient Egypt
  4. 6. Greek city-state known for its military
  5. 8. Triangular structure built in ancient times
  6. 9. Deadly disease that struck the Middle Ages
  7. 10. Territory ruled by a distant power
  8. 12. South American empire with its capital at Cusco

World History

Hard · 11×11 · 12 words
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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.

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1
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Across

  1. 1. A flowery substance that ignited a war of trade and addiction
  2. 3. Russian leader who lost his crown to a red tide
  3. 7. A living god who spent his life preparing for a tomb
  4. 8. A razor-sharp solution for the head of state
  5. 10. A city where the education was a real battle
  6. 11. Cross purposes that led to centuries of holy conflict

Down

  1. 2. A stony pointed reminder of a pharaoh's ego
  2. 4. The military shadow that stood behind the sun of Japan
  3. 5. A realm that promised a millennium but delivered a decade of ruin
  4. 6. A circular stage where the audience decided who lived or died
  5. 8. A cold system of labor where millions were frozen out of time
  6. 9. Empire that lacked the wheel but mastered the mountain road

World History

Hard · 15×15 · 14 words
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Printing for a class?

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Across

  1. 5. The restoration that dragged Japan into the modern world
  2. 7. A giant leap for mankind but a small step for a god
  3. 9. An age where reason finally outshone faith
  4. 12. The people who built a city on a lake and saw an eagle
  5. 13. A fleet that found the English weather quite stormy
  6. 14. The German house that ruled the British Isles

Down

  1. 1. A ruler who spent his life building his own tomb
  2. 2. Prague's favorite way to dispose of diplomats
  3. 3. The messy process of breaking up with an empire
  4. 4. The culture Alexander left behind in his dust
  5. 6. A long war between a land power and a sea power
  6. 8. A metal drapery that divided a continent
  7. 10. A Caesar who preferred snow to sunshine
  8. 11. An office with a very long line of succession

World History

Medium · 11×11 · 11 words
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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.

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Across

  1. 1. A territory under the full or partial political control of another country
  2. 3. Title used by Russian monarchs until the 1917 revolution
  3. 5. The 'Great' half of a 1215 charter of rights
  4. 9. The 'rebirth' of European art and learning following the Middle Ages
  5. 10. Form of government where power is held by the people and their elected representatives
  6. 11. The act of taking control of a place or people by military force

Down

  1. 2. A priestess acting as a medium for divine advice in ancient Greece
  2. 4. A noble title with several historical meanings in the Muslim world
  3. 6. One who lacks a permanent home and moves according to the seasons
  4. 7. The fortress-prison whose storming sparked a major 1789 revolution
  5. 8. Franz Ferdinand's rank before his assassination triggered a world war

World History

Easy · 7×7 · 8 words
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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.

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Across

  1. 2. Fabric symbol representing a nation or kingdom
  2. 4. Large fortified building during the medieval era
  3. 6. South American empire located in the Andes
  4. 7. Ancient empire that featured the Colosseum

Down

  1. 1. Civilization famous for its complex calendar system
  2. 3. Empire that built the city of Tenochtitlan
  3. 4. Metal money used for trade since ancient times
  4. 5. Title used by former rulers of Russia

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World History Crossword FAQ

Is this World History crossword puzzle free?

Yes. Every World History 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 World History 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 World History 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.