Kentucky Word Search

Find Frankfort, Mammoth Cave, Thoroughbred and Banjo among 16 Kentucky words, then print the puzzle with its key.

Name Date

Find every word hidden in the grid. Words go across and down.

0 of 16 words found

COCDKCUAEBANJOH

NYOACFRANKFORTO

APDNGOLDENRODHR

GTTIHISNODHZPLS

SFIESZAYPEINUOE

SOBLUEGRASSMRUS

TROBWEOTHNNLBIH

ATHOROUGHBREDSO

LKBOMAMMOTHCAVE

ANTNLEXINGTONIN

COTEIKCARDINALP

TXXTSCSEBGSERLL

IEOHIORIVERCTEF

TIXDRILINCOLNAI

EYSWLOGCABINTTH

This grid is wider and taller than its box. Slide it to see every letter.To drag, hold the first letter for a moment, then slide.Keyboard: Tab to the grid, arrow keys to move, Enter on the first and last letter.

FrankfortFRANKFORT
LouisvilleLOUISVILLE
LexingtonLEXINGTON
Ohio RiverOHIO RIVER
BluegrassBLUEGRASS
Mammoth CaveMAMMOTH CAVE
StalactiteSTALACTITE
ThoroughbredTHOROUGHBRED
HorseshoeHORSESHOE
CardinalCARDINAL
GoldenrodGOLDENROD
Daniel BooneDANIEL BOONE
LincolnLINCOLN
Log CabinLOG CABIN
BanjoBANJO
Fort KnoxFORT KNOX

16 of 28 words from the Kentucky Favorites list.

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Answer key: Kentucky Word Search

COCDKCUAEBANJOH

NYOACFRANKFORTO

APDNGOLDENRODHR

GTTIHISNODHZPLS

SFIESZAYPEINUOE

SOBLUEGRASSMRUS

TROBWEOTHNNLBIH

ATHOROUGHBREDSO

LKBOMAMMOTHCAVE

ANTNLEXINGTONIN

COTEIKCARDINALP

TXXTSCSEBGSERLL

IEOHIORIVERCTEF

TIXDRILINCOLNAI

EYSWLOGCABINTTH

FRANKFORT, LOUISVILLE, LEXINGTON, OHIO RIVER, BLUEGRASS, MAMMOTH CAVE, STALACTITE, THOROUGHBRED, HORSESHOE, CARDINAL, GOLDENROD, DANIEL BOONE, LINCOLN, LOG CABIN, BANJO, FORT KNOX

Next step Add your own county and school names to a new puzzle Scramble the horse farm words

All 203 words

Kentucky Cities 29

Bardstown One of the oldest towns in the state, where a brick mansion is tied to the state song.
Berea College town known as the folk arts and crafts capital of the state.
Bowling Green Third-largest city, a college town in the south not far from the cave country.
Cave City Town of motels and roadside attractions at the edge of a national park that lies underground.
Covington City across the Ohio from Cincinnati, joined to it by an old suspension bridge.
Danville Town where delegates wrote the first state constitution, in what is now Constitution Square.
Elizabethtown Crossroads city south of Louisville that locals call E-town.
Frankfort State capital, a small city wrapped in a bend of the Kentucky River.
Georgetown Town north of Lexington with a big car factory, named for George Washington.
Harlan Mountain county seat in the heart of the eastern coal country.
Harrodsburg Town laid out by frontiersmen before the Revolution and honored as the first lasting settlement west of the mountains.
Hazard Coal town in the eastern mountains named, like its county, for a naval hero called Perry.
Henderson Ohio River town where the bird painter John James Audubon once lived.

Show all 203 words (190 more)

Kentucky Cities, continued

Hindman Small mountain town, home of an old settlement school founded to teach children of the hills.
Hodgenville Small town close to the farm where Abraham Lincoln was born.
Hopkinsville Western city in farm country known for wheat, corn and soybeans.
Horse Cave Town where a big cavern opens right beside the main street.
La Grange Town where freight trains roll right down the middle of Main Street.
Lexington Second-largest city, ringed by farms and known as the Horse Capital of the World.
Louisville Largest city in the state, founded at the Falls of the Ohio and named for a king of France.
Maysville Old Ohio River port in the northeast, once a landing place for settlers.
Middlesboro Town near Cumberland Gap built inside a crater made by a meteorite.
Murray College town in the far west of the state, a few miles from the Tennessee line.
Owensboro Ohio River city that calls itself a world capital of barbecue and has a museum of bluegrass music.
Paducah River town where the Tennessee meets the Ohio, known as Quilt City.
Pikeville Mountain town that moved a river and a railroad through a giant cut to stop its floods.
Shelbyville Town that calls itself the Saddlebred Capital of the World.
Somerset Town beside Lake Cumberland in the south.
Versailles Horse country town spelled like a French palace but said ver-SALES.

Kentucky Rivers and Regions 20

Appalachia Mountain region that takes in the eastern part of the state.
Barren River Stream that flows through Bowling Green on its way to the Green.
Big Sandy River that forms part of the border with West Virginia.
Black Mountain Highest point in the state, a long ridge in Harlan County.
Bluegrass Region of rolling pastures around Lexington, named for a meadow grass; also the state's own kind of music.
Coalfield Mining region; the state has one in the eastern mountains and one in the west.
Green River Stream that flows through Mammoth Cave National Park.
Kentucky Lake Huge reservoir behind a dam on the Tennessee River in the far west.
Kentucky River Stream that winds past the capital between tall limestone cliffs.
Knobs Ring of cone-shaped hills around the edge of the Bluegrass.
Lake Barkley Reservoir on the Cumberland River named for a vice president from this state.
Lake Cumberland Long southern reservoir held back by Wolf Creek Dam.
Licking River Stream that joins the Ohio between Covington and Newport.
Mississippi Great river that forms the short western edge of the state.
Ohio River Wide waterway that forms the whole northern border of the state.
Palisades Steep limestone cliffs that line the Kentucky River near the center of the state.
Pennyroyal Plateau region of the south and west, named for a wild mint.
Pine Mountain Long, narrow ridge of the southeast with only a few gaps where roads and rivers can cross.
Plateau High land with a flat top; the eastern coal country sits on the Cumberland one.
Purchase Far western corner between two big rivers, bought from the Chickasaw.

Kentucky Caves 22

Bottomless Pit Deep shaft in Mammoth Cave that an early guide first crossed on a ladder.
Carter Caves State park of the northeast with guided tours underground, a hidden waterfall and winter shelter for bats.
Cave Cricket Long-legged insect that leaves its dark home at night to feed.
Cavefish Pale, eyeless swimmer of underground streams.
Cavern Large room or passage underground.
Echo River Underground stream deep inside Mammoth Cave.
Flowstone Sheet of rock built up by water that runs down a cave wall.
Frozen Niagara Formation in Mammoth Cave that looks like a waterfall turned to stone.
Hidden River Cave whose mouth opens in the middle of a small town.
Indiana Bat Small endangered flyer that sleeps through winter in a few large caves.
Karst Land of sinkholes, springs and caves, formed where water eats away the rock.
Lantern Hand light that visitors carry on some old-style cave tours.
Limestone Rock that water slowly dissolves to make caves; it lies under much of the state.
Lost River Cave at Bowling Green that visitors tour by boat.
Mammoth Cave Longest known underground system in the world, a national park beneath the hills of the south.
Saltpeter Mineral once dug from Mammoth Cave to make gunpowder.
Sandstone Hard cap rock that covers the passages of the longest cave like a roof.
Sinkhole Bowl in the ground where water drains down into the rock below.
Spelunker Person who explores caves for fun.
Stalactite Stone icicle that hangs from a cave ceiling.
Stalagmite Stone spike that grows up from a cave floor.
Stephen Bishop Enslaved guide who explored and mapped miles of Mammoth Cave in the 1800s.

Kentucky Horse Farms 24

Barn Farm building for animals, feed and tools.
Bridle Headgear with a bit and reins, used to guide a horse.
Colt Young male horse.
Farrier Worker who trims hooves and fits horseshoes.
Filly Young female horse.
Foal Horse in its first year of life.
Gallop Fastest gait of a horse.
Groom Person who feeds, brushes and looks after horses.
Hay Dried grass fed to animals in winter.
Hoof Hard foot of a horse.
Horse Park State-owned showplace near Lexington with a museum, shows and breeds both common and rare.
Horseshoe Curved metal plate nailed to a hoof to protect it.
Jockey Rider who guides a horse in a race.
Man o' War Champion racer of a century ago, nicknamed Big Red, honored by a statue near Lexington.
Mane Long hair that grows along a horse's neck.
Mare Grown female horse.
Paddock Small fenced field where a horse can move about.
Pasture Field of grass where animals graze.
Plank Fence Line of wooden boards around a farm field, a common sight along Bluegrass country roads.
Saddlebred Showy riding breed that was developed in this state.
Stable Building with stalls where horses are kept.
Stallion Grown male horse kept for breeding.
Thoroughbred State horse, a tall, fast breed raised on the farms around Lexington.
Yearling Young horse between one and two years old.

Kentucky State Symbols 20

Agate State gemstone since 2024, a stone marked with bands of color.
Blackberry State fruit, a dark berry that grows on thorny canes.
Brachiopod State fossil, a sea animal with two shells that lived when an ocean covered this land.
Calcite State mineral since 2024, the main ingredient of limestone.
Cardinal State bird, a bright red singer that state law calls the native redbird.
Clogging State dance, done with quick, loud footwork to mountain music.
Coal State rock under a 2024 law; it had been the state mineral before that.
Commonwealth Word the state uses for itself, as on its seal and flag.
Coonhound Kind of hunting dog; the Treeing Walker breed became the state dog in 2026.
Crider State soil, a deep farm soil found most of all on the Pennyroyal Plateau.
Dulcimer State musical instrument, a slim box with strings that is played flat on the lap.
Goldenrod State flower, a tall yellow wildflower that also forms part of the wreath on the state flag.
Gray Squirrel State wild game animal, a bushy-tailed climber of oak and hickory woods.
Hellbender State amphibian since 2026, a giant salamander of clean, rocky streams.
Honeybee State agricultural insect, a pollinator of orchards and clover.
Indigo Milk Cap State mushroom since 2026, bright blue from cap to stem.
Spotted Skunk State nongame mammal since 2026, a small climber that does a handstand to warn enemies.
Tulip Poplar State tree, tall and straight, with flowers shaped like cups.
United First word of the motto on the state seal, which goes on: we stand, divided we fall.
Viceroy State butterfly, an orange and black look-alike of the monarch.

Kentucky History 20

Boonesborough Fort on the Kentucky River founded by a famous frontiersman and his party.
Cherokee People whose territory reached into the southern part of this land.
Chickasaw People who held the far western corner until they sold it.
Coal Miner Worker who digs fuel from seams under the hills.
Colonel Honorary title that the governor gives to people who have served the state well.
Cumberland Gap Pass through the mountains where three states meet, the old doorway to the west.
Daniel Boone Frontiersman who cut a trail through a mountain pass and led settlers into the Bluegrass.
Fifteenth Place of this state in the order of joining the Union.
Flatboat Boxy raft that carried families and their animals down the Ohio.
Frontier Edge of settled country; for early Americans it lay just past these mountains.
Henry Clay Lexington statesman called the Great Compromiser, whose estate was named Ashland.
Isaac Shelby Soldier of the Revolution who became the first governor.
Lincoln Sixteenth president, born on a farm near Hodgenville.
Log Cabin One-room house of stacked tree trunks, the kind of home a famous president was born in.
Neutral What the state tried to stay when the Civil War began.
Pack Horse Animal that carried librarians and their books up mountain creeks in the Great Depression.
Shawnee People who hunted and lived in the northern part of this land.
Steamboat Paddle-wheel riverboat; a very old one named for Louisville still gives rides there.
Virginia State that this land belonged to until 1792.
Wilderness Road Trail through the mountains that brought thousands of settlers on foot and horseback.

Kentucky Music and Crafts 11

Ballad Old song that tells a story, carried into the mountains from Britain and Ireland.
Banjo Round-bodied string instrument with a bright, twangy sound, the heartbeat of a bluegrass band.
Basket Container woven by hand from thin strips of white oak or other wood.
Bill Monroe Musician from Rosine who is called the father of bluegrass.
Birthday Word in the title of a song sung around the world, with a tune by two sisters from Louisville.
Fiddle Violin played for dances and old-time tunes.
Guitar Six-string instrument that keeps the rhythm in a string band.
Jug Band Group that makes music on homemade instruments, a style that grew up in Louisville.
Mandolin Small eight-string instrument that Bill Monroe played.
Quilt Bed cover stitched from many pieces of cloth; a national museum in Paducah shows the finest.
Weaving Craft of making cloth on a loom, one of the trades that students practice at Berea.

Kentucky Food and Farms 18

Barbecue Slow-smoked meat; Owensboro calls itself the world capital of it.
Beaten Biscuit Hard little bread like a cracker, made from dough that is pounded before it is baked.
Benedictine Pale green spread of cucumber and cream cheese, invented in Louisville.
Burgoo Thick stew of mixed meats and vegetables, cooked in big kettles for a crowd.
Cattle Beef animals raised on the state's pastures.
Chess Pie Simple sweet custard pie with a little cornmeal in it.
Cobbler Baked fruit dessert with a biscuit crust, often made with blackberries.
Cornbread Quick bread baked from ground maize, often in an iron skillet.
Country Ham Pork leg cured in salt and aged for months.
Goetta Sausage of pork and oats, a German dish of the northern river towns.
Hot Brown Open-faced turkey sandwich with bacon and cheese sauce, first served at a Louisville hotel.
Modjeska Caramel-covered marshmallow candy that a Louisville candy maker named for an actress.
Pawpaw Native tree fruit with soft flesh that tastes a little like banana.
Sorghum Tall cane pressed for a dark, sweet syrup.
Soup Beans Pintos simmered slowly with pork, a mountain supper served with cornbread.
Soybeans Crop grown here with corn, hay and wheat, used for oil and animal feed.
Spoonbread Soft cornmeal dish eaten with a spoon; Berea holds a festival for it each year.
Stack Cake Many thin layers with dried apple filling between them, a mountain dessert.

Kentucky Wildlife and Trees 23

Barred Owl Night bird whose call sounds like the words who cooks for you.
Beech Smooth gray-barked tree of rich, shady woods.
Bobwhite Small quail that whistles its own name.
Box Turtle Land reptile that can close its shell up tight.
Buckeye Tree with large shiny brown nuts; people of the state across the river are nicknamed for it.
Canebrake Thicket of native bamboo that once covered river bottoms here.
Catfish Whiskered bottom feeder of rivers and ponds.
Coffeetree Tree with large seed pods that was the state tree before the tulip poplar.
Dogwood Small tree with white spring blooms and red fall berries.
Elk Big antlered animal that wildlife workers brought back to the eastern part of the state.
Firefly Beetle that flashes a light on summer evenings.
Hickory Hardwood with tough timber and sweet nuts.
Opossum Only pouched animal native to the country.
Paddlefish Big river fish with a long, flat snout.
Raccoon Masked night animal with a ringed tail.
Red Fox Rusty-coated hunter with a long bushy tail.
Redbud Small tree covered in pink blossoms in early spring.
River Otter Playful swimmer brought back to the state's streams.
Spotted Bass Game fish with rows of dark dots on its side; the common kind carries this state's name.
Sycamore Streamside tree with patchy white and tan bark.
White Oak Long-lived hardwood whose strips are woven into baskets.
Whitetail Common deer that flashes the pale underside of its tail when alarmed.
Wild Turkey Big game bird of the woods that struts and gobbles in spring.

Kentucky Landmarks and Parks 16

Arch Natural span of rock; the gorges of the east hold dozens of them.
Bernheim State arboretum, a forest and garden south of Louisville.
Big Bone Lick State park where mammoth and mastodon remains were found at salty springs.
Big Four Bridge Old railroad span at Louisville, now a path for walkers and bikes to Indiana.
Big South Fork National river area of gorges and stone arches on the Tennessee line.
Breaks Park shared with Virginia around a canyon called the Grand Canyon of the South.
Falls of the Ohio Rapids at Louisville with wide beds of ancient fossils beside them.
Federal Hill Bardstown mansion at the center of My Old Kentucky Home State Park.
Floral Clock Giant timepiece with a face made of flowers, behind the Capitol.
Fort Knox Army post beside the vault that guards a large share of the country's gold.
Moonbow Rainbow made by moonlight in the mist of a big waterfall on the Cumberland River.
Natural Bridge Sandstone arch in a state park that hikers can walk across.
Red River Gorge Canyon in the east with tall cliffs and dozens of natural stone arches.
Roebling Bridge Suspension span at Covington by the engineer who later designed a famous one in Brooklyn.
Sinking Spring Farm where Lincoln was born, named for a water source in a hollow.
Wickliffe Town near the Mississippi with the site of an ancient village of earth builders.

How this list was compiled: Own work. Words and names about the state of Kentucky for grades 2 to 8: ten themed lists (cities, rivers and regions, caves, horse farms, state symbols, history, music and crafts, food and farms, wildlife and trees, landmarks and parks), Kentucky Favorites, an easy list of every word of 3 to 5 letters and a hard list of every word of 8 letters or more. The grid keeps only the letters A to Z, so Mammoth Cave is hidden as MAMMOTHCAVE and Man o' War as MANOWAR. Entries have 3 to 14 letters once spaces, hyphens and apostrophes are dropped, and inside one list no word sits inside another, forwards or backwards. Clues are our own wording; no clue repeats a word of four letters or more from its own entry. No brand, team, living person, fictional character or drink is listed. American spellings. Places and names were checked on 16 October 2026 against the English Wikipedia article Kentucky and the article for each entry (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kentucky, license CC BY-SA 4.0). The state symbols follow the Kentucky Revised Statutes, Chapter 2, as amended in 2024 and 2026, read section by section the same day (https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/chapter.aspx?id=37025). The capital, the largest cities, statehood and the highest point were also read in Store norske leksikon (https://snl.no/Kentucky). Where no second work gave a date, a first or a record, the clue leaves it out. Unofficial and not affiliated with the State of Kentucky; an educational puzzle, so check the official source before you rely on a fact. Licence: own work

How it works

This Kentucky word search starts with 16 favorites, among them Frankfort, Louisville, Ohio River, Bluegrass, Cardinal and Goldenrod. Ten lists follow, with whole lists for caves, horse farms, and music and crafts beside cities, symbols, history, food, wildlife and landmarks.

Read the full guide

State symbols that changed in 2024 and 2026

Kentucky State Symbols follows the statutes as they read today. Coal, long the state mineral, is now the state rock; Calcite is the mineral and Agate the gemstone. Laws of 2026 added a state dog (Coonhound), an amphibian (Hellbender), a mushroom (Indigo Milk Cap) and a nongame mammal (Spotted Skunk).

A whole list under the ground

Kentucky Caves sets Mammoth Cave beside the words heard on a tour: Stalactite, Stalagmite, Flowstone, Karst and Sinkhole. Frozen Niagara, Echo River and Bottomless Pit are places inside the cave, and Cavefish and Cave Cricket live in it.

For a horse unit, Kentucky Horse Farms runs from Foal, Colt and Filly to Farrier, Paddock and Thoroughbred, the state horse.
Easy Kentucky has the 19 words of 3 to 5 letters: Foal, Colt, Mare, Hoof, Hay, Barn, Coal, Elk, Quilt, Banjo and more.
Open More options and tick Show clues, not words, and Birthday turns into a riddle about two sisters from Louisville.

Questions and answers

Can I print the Kentucky word search for a whole class?

Yes. Print or save as PDF gives the puzzle, with a Name and Date line, and then the answer key on a page of its own. Press New puzzle between printings and each group works a different 16 of the 28 favorites.

Is Mammoth Cave in the Kentucky word search?

Yes, in the opening grid. Mammoth Cave is the longest known cave system in the world, and Stephen Bishop, the enslaved guide who explored and mapped miles of it, has an entry of his own in Kentucky Caves.

Why does the Kentucky puzzle have Bluegrass in it?

Bluegrass names two things here: the region of rolling horse pastures around Lexington, and the official state music, played on Banjo, Fiddle and Mandolin. One entry carries both, and Kentucky Music and Crafts has the instruments.

Is Lincoln in a Kentucky word search?

Yes. Abraham Lincoln was born on a farm near Hodgenville, so Lincoln and Log Cabin are in the opening grid, and Sinking Spring, the name of the farm, is in Kentucky Landmarks and Parks.

All 203 words

Kentucky Cities 29

Kentucky Cities, continued

Kentucky Rivers and Regions 20

Kentucky Caves 22

Kentucky Horse Farms 24

Kentucky State Symbols 20

Kentucky History 20

Kentucky Music and Crafts 11

Kentucky Food and Farms 18

Kentucky Wildlife and Trees 23

Kentucky Landmarks and Parks 16

How it works

State symbols that changed in 2024 and 2026

A whole list under the ground

Questions and answers

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