Science crossword puzzle
Twelve clues that walk through a science classroom: the smallest things there are, the force that keeps you on the ground, two instruments and a shadow crossing the Sun.
Curated by 
Esme Rook
·
Updated October 2026
Play it right here
12 clues to solve: 6 across and 6 down. Tap a square and type; tap it again to switch between across and down. Solved words lock in green.
Across
- 1. The force that pulls a dropped apple to the ground (7)
- 3. Remains of an ancient creature preserved in rock (6)
- 5. The smallest living unit of the body (4)
- 9. Instrument that measures temperature (11)
- 11. It attracts iron and always has a north and a south pole (6)
- 12. It happens when the Moon hides the Sun, or Earth's shadow hides the Moon (7)
Down
- 2. Mountain that can erupt with lava and ash (7)
- 4. Earth is one; so are Mars and Jupiter (6)
- 6. Instrument that makes tiny things look big (10)
- 7. It can be solar, wind or electric; physics measures it in joules (6)
- 8. The smallest unit of a chemical element (4)
- 10. The gas in the air we need to breathe; its symbol is O (6)
What science is inside?
A bit of physics, a bit of chemistry, a bit of biology and a glance at the sky. Every clue states a real, checkable fact: what an instrument measures, what a force does, what a symbol stands for. If a clue teaches one new word to whoever is solving, it has done its job.
The long words are the way in
Two answers here are ten and eleven letters long, MICROSCOPE and THERMOMETER. That sounds intimidating and works the other way round: long answers cross many others, so solving one unlocks letters all over the grid. THERMOMETER alone crosses ATOM, ENERGY, VOLCANO, PLANET and MICROSCOPE. Start with the instruments. The tricky answers are the short ones, where one wrong guess fits neatly until a crossing exposes it. CELL and ATOM, both four letters, are the classic trap, since both clues talk about the smallest unit of something.
A grid for the science classroom
The answers line up with early school science. GRAVITY comes from the falling apple, the MAGNET has its north and south pole, OXYGEN carries the symbol O and the FOSSIL sits preserved in rock. It suits older children who read science words with ease, and adults who like a clue that teaches something. If the sports crossword felt easy, this is the step up, and the science word search and space word search use the same kind of vocabulary.
Two PDFs in black and white
The free puzzle PDF has the numbered grid and all twelve clues on one sheet; the answer key is a second PDF with the completed grid. Both print clean in black and white.
Same theme, different puzzle: Science word search
