Printable Cryptograms for Seniors: 5 Free Sets, 50 Puzzles
Last updated October 1, 2026
A cryptogram is a famous saying with its letters swapped for other letters; you work out the swaps and the quotation appears. These printable ones are the Easy kind: every quotation is short, three of the real letters are already filled in to give you a start, and the code letters are printed up to 34 point with a long line under each to write on. There are five themes, ten puzzles in each.
The quotations are from works published in 1930 or earlier, traditional proverbs, or short sayings written for this site, and the Answers section at the end of each full PDF gives each quotation with its author, work and year. Each set also comes as a puzzles-only file. They are free to print for yourself or a group. New to cryptograms? Read how to solve a cryptogram, or play the large print cryptogram on screen.
10 Printable Timeless Wisdom Cryptograms
- Level
- Easy
- Puzzles
- 10, one on each page
- Format
- One short quotation per page, 3 letters filled in
- Type size
- Code letters 29 to 34 pt
- Pages
- 12 with answers, or 10 puzzles only
- Paper
- US Letter, black and white
- Cost
- Free, no sign-up
A cryptogram is a saying written in a secret code: every letter has been swapped for another, and your job is to swap them back. This set holds ten traditional proverbs, such as “Every rose has its thorn” and “A watched pot never boils”, each only 20 to 22 letters long. They are the shortest puzzles we make, so they are a friendly way into cryptograms, and proverbs are easy to recognize once a few letters appear.
Easy means help. Three letters are already filled in on every page, shown on the blanks under the code letters wherever they occur, and the same letter always stands for the same letter throughout the puzzle. The code letters are printed up to 34 point, with a long line under each one to write on, and the words are spaced clearly so you can see the shape of each one.
The answers are in a section at the back of the full PDF, each with the saying and its credit; for these proverbs the credit is simply Traditional proverb. A puzzles-only file leaves them out. The proverbs are traditional and belong to everyone, and these are the first ten of the Easy Timeless Wisdom series on the site.
Prefer the screen? Play large print Cryptogram puzzles on any device, with big buttons and gentle hints, or try the Timeless Wisdom & Country Proverbs Cryptogram puzzles, which these pages come from. The Easy puzzle of each kind is free every day.
10 Printable Historical Speeches Cryptograms
- Level
- Easy
- Puzzles
- 10, one on each page
- Format
- One short quotation per page, 3 letters filled in
- Type size
- Code letters 29 to 34 pt
- Pages
- 12 with answers, or 10 puzzles only
- Paper
- US Letter, black and white
- Cost
- Free, no sign-up
This set takes lines from speeches, essays and pamphlets that people have been quoting for a century and more, and turns each into a puzzle in code. The ten quotations run from 26 to 32 letters, so each is a sentence you can finish in one sitting. Authors include Ralph Waldo Emerson, Thomas Paine, Booker T. Washington, Walt Whitman, Henry David Thoreau and Woodrow Wilson, with works from 1776 to 1917.
Every quotation comes from a work published in 1930 or earlier, which is out of copyright in the United States, and the answers give the author, the work and the year. Easy means that three letters are already filled in on each page, wherever they occur, to get you started. The code letters are as big as 32 point, with a long line under each one for your answer, so there is no squinting.
The full PDF ends with an Answers section that spells out each quotation with its credit, and a puzzles-only file leaves it out. These are the first ten of the Easy Historical Speeches series on the site, in the same order. We are still checking each quotation against published sources, as described on our page about how we make puzzles.
Prefer the screen? Play large print Cryptogram puzzles on any device, with big buttons and gentle hints, or try the Historical Speeches Cryptogram puzzles, which these pages come from. The Easy puzzle of each kind is free every day.
10 Printable Classic Theater Cryptograms
- Level
- Easy
- Puzzles
- 10, one on each page
- Format
- One short quotation per page, 3 letters filled in
- Type size
- Code letters 29 to 34 pt
- Pages
- 12 with answers, or 10 puzzles only
- Paper
- US Letter, black and white
- Cost
- Free, no sign-up
The theater has given us lines that everybody knows without knowing quite where they come from. This set turns ten of them into cryptograms: “Beware the ides of March”, “All that glisters is not gold” and “Nothing will come of nothing” among them. Most are from Shakespeare, with a line from Oscar Wilde and one from Christopher Marlowe. Each is only 20 to 27 letters long, which makes the puzzles short and satisfying.
Easy means help: three letters are already written in under the code letters on every page. The code letters are printed at up to 34 point, each with a long line below to write the real letter, and words are spaced apart so you can see their shapes. A page is a good ten-minute puzzle, and it is a pleasure to work on with a partner reading out the guesses.
The Answers section at the back of the full PDF gives each line with its play and year, and a puzzles-only file leaves the answers out. All the plays were written or published in 1930 or earlier, so they are in the public domain in the United States. These are the first ten puzzles of the Easy Classic Theater series on the site.
Prefer the screen? Play large print Cryptogram puzzles on any device, with big buttons and gentle hints, or try the Classic Theater Lines Cryptogram puzzles, which these pages come from. The Easy puzzle of each kind is free every day.
10 Printable Literary and Poetry Cryptograms
- Level
- Easy
- Puzzles
- 10, one on each page
- Format
- One short quotation per page, 3 letters filled in
- Type size
- Code letters 29 to 34 pt
- Pages
- 12 with answers, or 10 puzzles only
- Paper
- US Letter, black and white
- Cost
- Free, no sign-up
Poetry sounds even better after you have worked for it. This set of ten cryptograms hides lines of verse and prose in code, such as “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” and “I’m nobody! Who are you? Are you nobody, too?” Writers include Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Emily Dickinson, Charles Dickens, Alexander Pope, John Milton, Edgar Allan Poe, William Wordsworth and Alfred, Lord Tennyson. Each is 22 to 32 letters long.
It helps to know the line, but you do not have to. Three letters are filled in on every page, and the code letters are printed up to 34 point with a long line under each to write on. The punctuation stays visible, so a comma or a question mark can give you a clue about where a word ends.
The answers are in a section at the back of the full PDF: each line with the poem or book and the year. A puzzles-only file leaves them out. Every work was published in 1930 or earlier, so it is in the public domain in the United States, and the credits run from 1673 to 1891. These are the first ten puzzles of the Easy Literary and Poetry series on the site, and we are still checking each credit against published sources.
Prefer the screen? Play large print Cryptogram puzzles on any device, with big buttons and gentle hints, or try the Literary Excerpts & Poetry Cryptogram puzzles, which these pages come from. The Easy puzzle of each kind is free every day.
10 Printable Humorous Observations Cryptograms
- Level
- Easy
- Puzzles
- 10, one on each page
- Format
- One short quotation per page, 3 letters filled in
- Type size
- Code letters 29 to 34 pt
- Pages
- 12 with answers, or 10 puzzles only
- Paper
- US Letter, black and white
- Cost
- Free, no sign-up
These ten cryptograms hide sayings that make people smile: dry remarks on politeness, visitors, travel and human nature. Some are by writers famous for their wit, among them Benjamin Franklin, Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde and Ambrose Bierce, and one is a saying written for this site. The quotations are a little longer than in the other sets, from 26 up to 46 letters, so there is a bit more to chew on.
As in every Easy set, three letters are already filled in on each page, shown wherever they appear, and the code letters are printed as large as the page allows so the longer sayings still fit comfortably. Each letter has a line underneath for your answer. Take your time: the same code letter always means the same real letter, so every guess helps with the rest.
The full PDF closes with an Answers section giving each saying with its author, source and year, and a puzzles-only file leaves it out. Quotations come from works published in 1930 or earlier, or from our own pen, and these are the first ten of the Easy Humorous Observations series on the site. We are still checking each credit against published sources.
Prefer the screen? Play large print Cryptogram puzzles on any device, with big buttons and gentle hints, or try the Humorous Observations on Aging and Life Cryptogram puzzles, which these pages come from. The Easy puzzle of each kind is free every day.
How to print these puzzles
- Open the PDF (or save it) and choose Print. The pages are US Letter, 8.5 by 11 inches.
- On A4 paper, or if a margin is cut off, choose “Fit to page” (or “Fit”). Otherwise choose “Actual size” or 100 percent, which keeps the type at its full large size.
- Choose black and white or grayscale. The puzzles need no color, and it saves ink.
- Print one page per sheet. “Multiple pages per sheet” makes the letters small again.
- To print only the puzzles, print the puzzles-only file, or in the full file print just the pages before the section called Answers.
Frequently asked questions
- Are these printable cryptograms free?
- Yes. All 5 sets, 50 puzzles in all, are free to download and print for personal or group use, with no account and no email address. Please keep the credit line “Puzzles from Senior Puzzles Daily (seniorpuzzlesdaily.com)” on what you share, and do not sell them.
- Do the PDFs include answers?
- Each set comes in two files. The full PDF has the puzzles first and then a section titled Answers. The puzzles-only file has no answers, which is useful for handing out to a group.
- Can I print them at home?
- Yes. They are US Letter pages in black and white, so any home printer will do. On A4 paper, choose “Fit to page” when you print.
- What level are they?
- Easy only, with the large print that makes them comfortable to read. The Medium and Hard levels will be on screen for members.
Copyright and sharing
These puzzles are original to Senior Puzzles Daily. The word lists are our own, every crossword clue was written for this site, and Cryptogram quotations are from works published in 1930 or earlier, traditional proverbs, or short sayings written for this site.
Printing for yourself or for a group is free, with a credit line. You may print as many copies as you need for your family, class, club, senior center or care home, and hand them out or share the file with the people you work with. Please keep the credit line on what you share:
Puzzles from Senior Puzzles Daily (seniorpuzzlesdaily.com)
Please do not sell the puzzles, put them in anything you sell, or republish them as your own. If you want to share them online, link to this page instead of copying the files.
Like these? Today’s Easy puzzle of every kind is free on screen. Members will be able to add the Medium and Hard levels, every theme and unlimited puzzles every day; see the membership information.
Printing for a class, club or care home? See puzzle packs for senior centers and groups for session plans and the credit line.