Insects and Bugs Crossword Puzzle (free printable)
A free insect crossword with thirteen words and clues for grades 2 to 5: ladybug, dragonfly, cricket, antennae, cocoon, nectar and more, with numbered squares and an answer key.
To save a PDF, choose Print, then “Save as PDF” as the printer. Only the sheets print.
All 13 words are in the crossword (14 × 15 squares).
About this set
Thirteen insect words with a clue that tells something true about each: a beetle that flashes a light at night, a small red beetle with black spots, an insect that chirps by rubbing its wings together, the two feelers on an insect’s head. The list holds the creatures (ant, bee, butterfly, caterpillar, ladybug, dragonfly, firefly, grasshopper, cricket) and the words around them (antennae, cocoon, hive, nectar). A student who has done a bug unit will know many of the answers, and the shared letters in the grid give hints for the rest. Turn on the word bank for second grade, and turn it off for fifth.
Grades: 2nd to 5th grade. Best in: April, May, September.
The words and clues
- Ant :
- A tiny insect that lives in a colony and carries food in a long line
- Bee :
- An insect that makes honey and visits flowers
- Butterfly :
- A winged insect that sips nectar and has left its chrysalis behind
- Caterpillar :
- A crawling larva with many legs that eats leaves and later changes shape
- Ladybug :
- A small red beetle with black spots
- Dragonfly :
- An insect with two pairs of long, clear wings that hovers over ponds
- Firefly :
- A beetle that flashes a light at night
- Grasshopper :
- An insect with strong back legs that is a champion jumper
- Cricket :
- An insect that chirps by rubbing its wings together
- Antennae :
- The two feelers on an insect’s head that sense touch and smell
- Cocoon :
- A silky case that a moth caterpillar spins around itself
- Hive :
- A home built by bees
- Nectar :
- The sweet liquid in flowers that bees collect
How to use it: five ideas
- Fact check: after solving, each student chooses one clue and finds a second fact about the insect in a book.
- Word bank for grade 2: leave it on and read each clue to the group as a riddle.
- Insect or not: students list three bugs that are not on the page (spider, worm, snail) and explain why they are not insects.
- Write a clue: students write a clue for the beetle or the bee, trade with a partner and solve each other’s.
- Different layouts: press Make another for each table so students cannot copy from their neighbors.
Related
Questions
Are the clues accurate?
Yes. A firefly is a beetle, a ladybug is a small beetle, crickets chirp by rubbing their wings together, and a moth caterpillar spins a silk cocoon. If you change a clue, check the fact first.
Is a ladybug a bug or an insect?
Both. “Bug” is an everyday word for small creatures, and a ladybug is also a true insect: it has six legs, three body parts and a pair of antennae.
Can I change the words and clues?
Yes. Each of the 13 lines is a word, a colon and its clue. Edit any of them, and the crossword is rebuilt with new numbers.
How do I save it as a PDF?
Press Print and choose “Save as PDF” as the printer. The puzzle is page one and the answer key is page two.
How do I get a different layout?
Press “Make another”. The same words and clues are placed in a new arrangement, so each table can have its own puzzle.
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