18 puzzles · all free to play and print
Basketball Word Search
Free Basketball word search puzzles to print or play online.
Play online or print
The Court
8 words to find
- COURT
- HOOP
- NET
- BALL
- LINE
- FLOOR
- RIM
- BACKBOARD
Drag from the first to the last letter of a word, or tap the first letter and then the last. The PDF has the puzzle on page 1 and the answer key on page 2.
All 18 Basketball puzzles stay free here. Want them as one printable booklet?
18 printable Basketball word search puzzles
eighteen puzzles in three levels. Easy puzzles are 10 by 10 grids with eight words across and down. Medium puzzles are 13 by 13 with twelve words and diagonals. Hard puzzles are 16 by 16 with eighteen words in every direction, backwards too. The sub-themes include The Court, Basic Moves, Plays and Strategy, Defense and the History of the Game. Every puzzle has an answer key and prints on US Letter or A4. Every one of these 18 puzzles is free: play it online above or print its PDF, with the answer key on page 2. No account, no email.
Easy: across and down 6 puzzles
Medium: across, down and diagonal 6 puzzles
Hard: every direction, backwards too 6 puzzles
Optional · all in one file
Want all 18 in one booklet?
You do not need it: every Basketball puzzle above is free to play and to download one by one. The booklet is only for printing them all at once, a 38-page PDF with a cover, a contents page and the answer keys at the back. Buying it also keeps this site free for everyone.
One-time payment, secure checkout with Stripe. US Letter and A4 PDFs, the download link arrives by email.
How to use these Basketball word searches
Hand them out on the bus to an away game, in the gym while the team waits for the court, or on a rainy practice day. Coaches can use the plays and rules puzzles to review terms with players. Youth leagues, after-school clubs and PE teachers can use the easy puzzles as a quick station. Each PDF has the puzzle on page 1 and the answer key on page 2.
Make your own Basketball word search
Add your own words, a name or a class list to these basketball words and pick a level. The preview is free; the printable PDF with its answer key is $1.99.
Good to know about Basketball word search
Every Basketball puzzle on this page is free to play online and free to print as a PDF with its answer key, one by one. Only the optional booklet, all 18 puzzles bundled into one print-ready file, costs money.
Start with The Court, On the Team or Gear Up. They are 10 by 10 grids with eight short words that run across and down only, using terms like hoop, net and coach that a beginner already hears at practice.
The medium puzzles cover positions, plays, rules and calls such as traveling and goaltending, and the hard puzzles cover defenses, offensive moves, statistics and the court markings.
History of the Game covers James Naismith, the peach baskets and Springfield, and Hall of Fame Names lists players and coaches who have died, such as Wilt Chamberlain and John Wooden.
Easy puzzles (10 by 10, words across and down) work from about age 6. Medium puzzles (13 by 13, diagonals added) suit ages 8 to 11. Hard puzzles (16 by 16, every direction, backwards too) are for older kids and adults.
Page 2 of every PDF is the answer key, with each word marked where it hides. When you play online, the Show answers button marks them on the grid.
Every puzzle comes as a US Letter PDF (8.5 by 11 inches) and an A4 PDF (210 by 297 mm). Print at 100% or Actual size.
Every puzzle on this page plays in the browser on a phone, tablet or computer: drag or tap from the first to the last letter of a word. Nothing to install and no account.
Print as many copies as you need for your home, classroom, church group or care home. Please link to this page instead of uploading the files elsewhere.