30 Printable Crossword Puzzles to Test Your Smarts
Updated: Sep. 30, 2022We've collected a number of the crossword puzzles that Reader's Digest runs in their large print edition every month for the past few years. Give these printable crossword puzzles a try and then come back to see how many answers you got correct. Bonus, they help keep your brain sharp!
Printable Crossword Puzzle: December 2017/January 2018
Every year, the James E. Sullivan Award is presented to the nation’s most outstanding amateur athlete. The first honoree was golfer Bobby Jones, in 1930. Can you deduce the identities of five other winners with just the year and the sport as clues?
Printable Crossword Puzzle: May 2018
The Scripps National Spelling Bee takes place every May. We’re featuring seven winning words from past bees. Can you guess these tricky terms from just the definition and the year? Are you smart enough to solve these tricky detective riddles?
Printable Crossword Puzzle: June 2018
The board game Clue has been part of pop culture for nearly 70 years. It originated in Britain, where it’s called Cluedo. And who can forget the 1985 big screen adaptation, with three different endings? Get ready to play word detective as you ferret out the names of two suspects and three weapons from the original game.
Printable Crossword Puzzle: July/August 2018
There are seven themed answers in this puzzle—but what is our theme? You’ll need to figure out the first six boldface clues to identify what they have in common. If you like these printable crossword puzzles, you’ll also want to try these hard riddles that will test your smarts.
Printable Crossword Puzzle: September 2018
Alfred Hitchcock once said, “Puns are the highest form of literature.” We hope you agree because this puzzle features six of them. The subject is sea life, so if you’re feeling particularly confident, use a pen … just for the halibut.
Printable Crossword Puzzle: October 2018
A glass of beer has a head. So does a corporation, a table, a class, and a drum. This puzzle features five answers that use anatomical parts in different contexts. The task is not as tough as nails; in fact, even a solving tenderfoot can tackle it, especially if an experienced solver lends a hand.
Printable Crossword Puzzle: December 2018/January 2019
This puzzle features mash-ups of famous monikers. (For example: rock singer Axl + former president George = ROSEBUSH.) All the themed answers have one additional thing in common, which you’ll discover as you solve. These brain games will boost your brain power.
Printable Crossword Puzzle: April 2019
Every decade seems to bring a new batch of resourceful detectives to the small screen. We’ve loaded this puzzle with a septet of shrewd mystery solvers. Can you ferret them out?
Printable Crossword Puzzle: May 2019
The five themed entries in this puzzle are as different as can be, but they have one thing in common. Can you catch it? Here’s a clue: The trait is in the words themselves, not their meanings. If these printable crossword puzzles aren’t enough of a challenge for you, try these word puzzles that will leave you stumped.
Printable Crossword Puzzle: June 2019
Are you ready to hit the books? In this puzzle, we’ve abridged the names of five literary classics. For example, you might encounter a Dickens novel about working out, Great Pecs, or that Fitzgerald classic about group therapy, The Great Gab. (Note that no letters are rearranged—only removed.)
Printable Crossword Answer: April 2020
Also, try to solve these logic puzzles that will keep you guessing.
Printable Crossword Puzzle: May 2020
The idea of separation figures prominently in some popular phrases—”trial separation,” “the great divide,” “absence makes the heart grow fonder,” and so on. This month’s puzzle features five phrases riffing on the concept. Give yourself a little space, life your writing tool of choice, and proceed to solve.
Printable Crossword Puzzle: June 2020
You’ve probably seen your fair share of action-packed blockbusters in the warmer months, but summer movies can also be family comedies, coming-of-age stories, or nostalgic films. So grab some popcorn (plus your pencil) and find the four famous summertime flicks in this month’s puzzle.
Printable Crossword Puzzle: July/August 2020
Only a small number of actors have won the thespian equivalent of the Triple Crown—an Emmy, a Tony, and an Oscar. This group includes Viola Davis, Jessica Lange, and Jeremy Irons, to name a few. You’ll find five more members of this select society in our puzzle—and you get one title for each as a hint.
Printable Crossword Answer: July/August 2020
Now that you’re a master of words after solving these printable crossword puzzles, see how good your artistic eye is and try to spot the difference in these pictures.
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