Circus Vocabulary Worksheets

Press Print worksheet to match twelve circus terms, from acrobat and trapeze to ringmaster, to their meanings.

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NameDateMade at homeroomtools.comDraw a line from each one on the left to its partner on the right.Circus vocabularycircustentringmasteracrobatjugglertrapezetightropeclownringactstuntaudiencean athlete who thrills crowds withflips and balancinga funny entertainer in baggyclothes and bright makeupthe round arena where the showtakes placeall the people watching from theseatsa hanging bar that an aerialperformer swings fromsomeone who keeps severalobjects flying at oncecanvas walls and roof that foldaway for travela traveling show of daring, skilland comedythe person who presents theshow to the crowda daring feat that looksdangerousa taut line stretched high up forwalking acrossone separate turn within a longershow
NameDateMade at homeroomtools.comDraw a line from each one on the left to its partner on the right.Circus vocabularyAnswer keycircustentringmasteracrobatjugglertrapezetightropeclownringactstuntaudiencean athlete who thrills crowds withflips and balancinga funny entertainer in baggyclothes and bright makeupthe round arena where the showtakes placeall the people watching from theseatsa hanging bar that an aerialperformer swings fromsomeone who keeps severalobjects flying at oncecanvas walls and roof that foldaway for travela traveling show of daring, skilland comedythe person who presents theshow to the crowda daring feat that looksdangerousa taut line stretched high up forwalking acrossone separate turn within a longershow
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All 36 terms

Key circus words 12

  • acrobat An athlete who thrills crowds with flips and balancing. "The acrobat flipped twice before landing."
  • act One separate turn within a longer show. "The dog act lasted only five minutes."
  • audience All the people watching from the seats. "The audience clapped in time with the band."
  • circus A traveling show of daring, skill and comedy. "The circus stayed in our town for one week."
  • clown A funny entertainer in baggy clothes and bright makeup. "The clown pulled a string of scarves from his sleeve."
  • juggler Someone who keeps several objects flying at once. "The juggler added a fourth ball without looking."
  • ring The round arena where the show takes place. "Six ponies trotted once around the ring."
  • ringmaster The person who presents the show to the crowd. "The ringmaster lifted his hat and called for quiet."
  • stunt A daring feat that looks dangerous. "Her best stunt was a leap through a paper hoop."
  • tent Canvas walls and roof that fold away for travel. "Rain drummed on the roof of the tent."
  • tightrope A taut line stretched high up for walking across. "He stepped onto the tightrope holding a long pole."
  • trapeze A hanging bar that an aerial performer swings from. "She hung from the trapeze by her knees."
Show all 36 terms (24 more)

Circus performers 12

  • contortionist A performer who bends the body into startling shapes. "The contortionist folded herself into a small glass box."
  • daredevil A person who takes wild risks for the thrill. "The daredevil rode a motorcycle up a steep ramp."
  • equestrian A skilled rider of horses. "The equestrian stood up on the horse's back."
  • escape artist An entertainer who breaks free of chains and locks. "The escape artist was out of the trunk in a minute."
  • human cannonball A performer launched through the air from a big barrel. "The human cannonball waved before climbing in."
  • magician An entertainer who performs baffling tricks. "The magician turned a red scarf into a blue one."
  • showman A person who stages entertainment for a living. "The old showman still painted every poster himself."
  • stiltwalker An entertainer striding high up on two long poles. "A stiltwalker in striped pants led the parade."
  • strongman A man whose act is a display of great muscle power. "The strongman lifted a bench with two people on it."
  • troupe A company of entertainers that tours together. "The troupe packed up and left before sunrise."
  • unicyclist Someone who pedals along on a single wheel. "The unicyclist pedaled backward and waved."
  • ventriloquist An entertainer whose voice seems to come from a puppet. "The ventriloquist argued with the puppet on his knee."

The big top and the show 12

  • balance To stay steady without tipping over. "He can balance a chair on his chin."
  • big top The chief tent, where the star performers appear. "Lights were strung all around the big top."
  • bleachers Tiers of plain bench seats for spectators. "We found a place high in the bleachers."
  • caravan Travelers and their wagons or trucks moving as one group. "The caravan of trucks stretched down the highway."
  • finale The grand closing part of a performance. "Everyone came back out for the finale."
  • intermission A short break partway through a performance. "We bought popcorn during intermission."
  • menagerie Wild animals of many kinds, kept for people to see. "Visitors could walk through the menagerie before the show."
  • rehearse To practice something before doing it in public. "They rehearse the routine every morning."
  • safety net Mesh stretched under high performers to catch a fall. "She dropped into the safety net and bounced to her feet."
  • sawdust Tiny bits of wood that fall when a board is cut. "Fresh sawdust covered the floor."
  • slapstick Comedy built on tumbles, bumps and silly mishaps. "The pie fight was pure slapstick."
  • trampoline A stretchy bed on springs that throws a jumper upward. "Two tumblers took turns on the trampoline."

How this list was compiled: Term list chosen for this site on 2026-10-12. Each meaning is written in our own words and was checked that day in two references: the entry for the term in Wiktionary, the free dictionary (https://en.wiktionary.org/), whose text is under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license, and the entry in the Cambridge Dictionary (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/). Bleachers was read in Wiktionary under bleacher. Where the second dictionary has no entry, the reference is an article of English Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/), whose text is under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license: Unicycle for unicyclist, Stilts for stiltwalker and Human cannonball for the term it is named after. The answers under the list rest on the articles Circus, Ringmaster (circus), Trapeze and Tightrope walking and on the etymology in the Wiktionary entry circus. The sentence in quotation marks after each meaning is our own. Licence: own work

How it works

These circus vocabulary worksheets print twelve terms down the left and their meanings, mixed up, down the right. They open on key words such as acrobat and tightrope. Two more sets cover performers, the big top and the show.

Read the full guide

Key circus words, from acrobat to tightrope

Set opens on Key circus words: circus, tent, ringmaster, acrobat, juggler, trapeze, tightrope, clown, ring, act, stunt and audience. Circus performers runs from contortionist, strongman and unicyclist to showman and escape artist.

Big top and show words, from safety net to finale

The third set prints big top, safety net, trampoline, bleachers, sawdust, caravan, menagerie, intermission, finale, rehearse, balance and slapstick. Under the tool each term has a sentence from a show, such as "The juggler added a fourth ball without looking."

Questions and answers

What does a ringmaster do in a circus?

A ringmaster hosts the show: he or she announces each act and tells the audience where to look. In a small circus the ringmaster is often its owner too.

How big is a circus ring?

Many circus rings are 13 meters across, about 43 feet. That width was settled on in the late 1700s as the smallest circle in which a rider could keep standing on a horse at a canter.

What is the difference between a trapeze and a tightrope?

A performer hangs or swings from a trapeze, and in a flying act lets go to be caught by a partner. A tightrope is walked along, freehand or with a balance pole, a fan or an umbrella.

Where does the word circus come from?

From the Latin word circus, which means ring or circle. The Latin word came in turn from a Greek word for a ring.

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