Sports Crossword Puzzles Printable for PE Class

Pick a set, then press Print for a sports criss-cross crossword that names no league, team or athlete.

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Sports Crossword

Read each clue and write the answer in the squares that start at its number, one letter in each square.

This grid is wider than a phone screen, so it scrolls sideways. It prints whole.

Tap a square, and its clue shows here.

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Type in a square and the next one takes over. Tap the same square again, or press Space, to switch between Across and Down. Arrow keys move around the grid, Enter goes to the next clue, and a clue takes you to its squares.

Print gives 2 pages on Letter or A4: the puzzle with its clues, then the answer key. The squares print 10 mm wide. For a PDF, choose Save as PDF in the print window.

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Answer key: Sports Crossword

1B2BUA3GOGGLESLE4TENNISB5PEAUYL6CARTW7HEEL8JKEE9FOUL10ARMRS11GOALIERE12TROPHYW

Across 3 GOGGLES · 4 TENNIS · 6 CARTWHEEL · 9 FOUL · 11 GOALIE · 12 TROPHY

Down 1 BULLSEYE · 2 BASEBALL · 5 PUCK · 7 HELMET · 8 JERSEY · 10 ARROW

Next step Find sports words in a word searchScramble the names of the sports as a warm-up

All 160 clues

Show all clues and answers

Team Sports 50

  • Assist Pass that leads straight to a score by a teammate
  • Baseball Sport of pitchers, catchers and shortstops
  • Basketball Five-a-side sport of dribbles, rebounds and layups
  • Bowler Player who delivers six balls to the batter, then hands over to a teammate
  • Bunt Soft tap of a pitch, made without swinging
  • Catcher Player who crouches behind the plate
  • Corner Kind of kick given when defenders put the ball over their own end line
  • Cricket Sport of wickets, bowlers and overs
  • Dodgeball Gym class game: throw to hit, duck to stay in
  • Dribble Bounce the ball as you move, or nudge it along with your feet
  • Dunk Jump and slam the ball down through the rim
  • Eleven Size of a full side on the pitch or on the gridiron
  • Faceoff Drop of the disk between two players to start play
  • Football Sport of punts, tackles and huddles, played on a gridiron
  • Foul Illegal contact that can send the other side to the free-throw line
  • Fumble Dropped ball that either side may recover
  • Goal One point on the pitch, scored when the whole ball crosses the line between the posts
  • Goalie Short name for the one player who may use hands in the box
  • Header Shot or pass made with the forehead
  • Hockey Team sport played on ice with curved sticks
  • Hoop Orange ring, ten feet up, that the ball must drop through
  • Huddle Tight circle where a side plans its next play
  • Inning One of nine in a regulation game on the diamond
  • Kickball Playground game with diamond rules and a big rubber ball to boot
  • Kickoff Play that starts each half
  • Lacrosse Players carry and throw the ball with a netted stick
  • Layup Close-range shot laid in off the backboard
  • Offside Rule that stops attackers from waiting for the ball behind the defenders
  • Penalty Kick from a spot 12 yards out, with only the keeper to beat
  • Pitcher Player who throws from the mound
  • Polo Team sport played on horseback with long mallets
  • Puck Hard rubber disk slapped across the ice
  • Punt Drop the ball and kick it before it lands, often on fourth down
  • Quarterback Player who takes the snap and throws most of the passes
  • Rebound Grab of the ball after a missed shot
  • Rugby Sport of scrums and tries, played with an oval ball
  • Safety Two-point score made in the other side's own end zone
  • Scrum Pack of forwards pushing head to head for the ball
  • Setter Player whose soft second touch puts the ball up for the smash
  • Shortstop Infielder who plays between second and third
  • Soccer Sport in which only the keeper may handle the ball
  • Softball Diamond sport with a bigger ball and an underhand pitch
  • Spike Hard downward smash over the net, set up by a teammate
  • Tackle Bring the ball carrier to the ground
  • Touchdown Six-point score for getting the ball into the end zone
  • Try Grounding the oval ball over the line, worth five points in the union code
  • Volleyball Six-a-side sport: three touches at most to send the ball back over the net
  • Wicket Three stumps topped by two bails
  • Yard A gridiron measures 100 of these between its end zones
  • Yellow Color of the caution card on the pitch

Racket, Club and Target Sports 36

  • Ace Winning first shot of a point that the receiver never touches
  • Archery Sport of bows, arrows and bullseyes
  • Arrow Shaft with a point at one end and feathers at the other
  • Backhand Stroke with the back of the hand leading
  • Badminton Net sport played with a shuttlecock
  • Birdie One under on a hole; also a nickname for a shuttlecock
  • Bogey One over on a hole
  • Bowling Sport of heavy balls, rented shoes and ten targets
  • Bullseye Center of a target
  • Bunker Sand trap
  • Caddie Person who carries a player's bag of clubs
  • Croquet Lawn game of mallets and hoops
  • Deuce A tie at 40 all
  • Eagle Two under on a hole
  • Fairway Closely mowed strip that leads to the green
  • Fencing Sport of lunges and parries, fought in a mask and a white jacket
  • Foil Light, bendy sword with a blunt tip
  • Forehand Stroke with the palm leading
  • Golf Sport in which the lowest score wins; a full round is 18 holes
  • Gutter Channel that swallows a badly aimed roll
  • Lob High, arcing shot over an opponent's head
  • Love Zero, in a sport scored 15, 30, 40
  • Par Number of strokes an expert should need
  • Pickleball Paddle sport played with a plastic ball full of holes
  • Pin One of ten targets that stand in a triangle
  • Putt Gentle stroke that rolls the ball along the green
  • Quiver Case that holds an archer's supply of shafts
  • Racket Strung frame swung in net sports
  • Rally Back-and-forth exchange that lasts until the point ends
  • Serve Shot that starts every point in net sports
  • Spare All ten down in two rolls
  • Squash Indoor sport in which two players hit a small rubber ball off four walls
  • Strike All ten down with the first roll
  • Tee Small peg that holds the ball up for a drive
  • Tennis Sport scored 15, 30, 40
  • Volley Shot hit before the ball bounces

Track, Field and Gym 21

  • Baton Short stick handed from runner to runner
  • Beam Gym apparatus only 10 centimeters wide
  • Cartwheel Sideways turn over the hands, arms and legs spread like spokes
  • Decathlon Ten events over two days
  • Discus Heavy disk thrown with a spin
  • Handstand Balancing upside down on your palms
  • Heptathlon Seven events over two days
  • Hurdles Barriers a runner must clear in stride
  • Javelin Spear thrown for distance
  • Judo Japanese art of throws and holds whose name means gentle way
  • Karate Art from Okinawa whose name means empty hand
  • Lap Once around the track
  • Marathon Road race of 26.2 miles
  • Relay Race in which four runners take turns carrying a stick
  • Rings Pair of hanging hoops that test a gymnast's strength
  • Somersault Full roll, head over heels
  • Sprint Short race at top speed, such as the 100 meters
  • Trampoline Stretchy bed that sends a jumper high into the air
  • Triathlon Swim, bike and run in one race
  • Vault Jump made with a long pole over a high bar; also a gym event over a table
  • Wrestling Combat sport of takedowns and holds, on a mat

Water and Winter Sports 26

  • Axel Figure skating jump with a forward takeoff
  • Backstroke The racing stroke swum face up
  • Bobsled Winter racing machine with steering and brakes that runs down a twisting ice chute
  • Butterfly Stroke with both arms swung forward together and a dolphin kick
  • Canoe Open boat moved with a single-bladed paddle
  • Curling Sliding granite stones toward a target while teammates sweep the ice
  • Diving Springboard or platform sport judged on form
  • Freestyle Swimming race in which any stroke is allowed; nearly everyone chooses the front crawl
  • Kayak Small boat moved with a double-bladed paddle
  • Lane Marked strip that one runner or one swimmer keeps to
  • Luge Racing down an icy chute feet first, lying on your back
  • Oar Long pole with a flat blade, held in a lock on the side of a racing shell
  • Pool A long-course one is 50 meters from wall to wall
  • Rink Sheet of ice with boards around it
  • Rowing Boat racing in which the crew faces backward, toward the stern
  • Sailing Wind-powered boat racing
  • Scuba Its letters stand for self-contained underwater breathing apparatus
  • Skates Boots with blades
  • Skiing Sliding down snowy slopes on two long runners
  • Slalom Zigzag race between poles or gates
  • Sled Winter ride for a snowy hill
  • Snorkel Breathing tube for swimming face down at the surface
  • Snowboard Single wide board ridden sideways down a slope
  • Surfing Riding a breaking wave on a board
  • Toboggan Long, flat-bottomed snow slider with no runners under it
  • Wetsuit Snug neoprene outfit that keeps a surfer warm

Gear, Places and Officials 27

  • Base One of the four corners of the infield
  • Bat Wood or metal club swung at a pitch
  • Bleachers Tiered bench seats beside a field
  • Captain Player chosen to lead a side
  • Chalk White powder gymnasts rub on their hands for grip
  • Champion Winner of a whole tournament or season
  • Cleats Studded shoes for grass fields
  • Coach Person who trains a side and plans its plays
  • Dugout Bench area where a side waits for its turn to hit
  • Glove Leather hand gear for catching fly balls
  • Goggles They keep chlorinated water out of a swimmer's eyes
  • Halftime Break in the middle of a game
  • Helmet Hard hat with a face mask
  • Jersey Shirt with a name and a number on the back
  • Leotard One-piece outfit of a gymnast or a dancer
  • Mascot Costumed character that cheers for a side
  • Medal Gold, silver or bronze prize on a ribbon
  • Mitt Padded leather hand gear worn behind the plate
  • Overtime Extra period played when the score is tied
  • Playoffs Knockout games that follow the regular season
  • Podium Three-step stand for the top three finishers
  • Referee Official with a whistle who enforces the rules
  • Rookie Player in a first season
  • Scoreboard Big sign that shows the points and the time left
  • Stadium Huge outdoor arena ringed by rows of seats
  • Trophy Cup or statue given to a winner
  • Umpire Official who calls balls and strikes from behind the plate

How this list was compiled: 160 clues written for this site. No league, team, athlete, event name or brand appears. Rules and measurements were checked against English Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org) in September 2026 and keep to figures the articles give as standard; records and league-by-league limits are left out. American usage: soccer, and football for the gridiron sport. Five clues sit in two sets; this list files each under one heading. Licence: own work

How it works

These sports crossword puzzles, printable on Letter or A4, never name a league, a team or an athlete, so no clue depends on last season's results. They are vocabulary crosswords that open on easy clues such as Puck and Hoop.

Read the full guide

Five sports sets and an easy one

Team Sports has Bunt, Fumble and Scrum. Racket, Club and Target Sports has Deuce, Bogey and Quiver, and three more sets cover track, field and gym, water and winter sports, and gear, places and officials. Easy Sports Clues cuts across them with answers most children know, such as Coach, Medal and Sled.

Rules and numbers, checked

Every rule in a clue was checked: six points for a touchdown, five for a rugby union try, a penalty spot 12 yards out, a hoop ten feet up, and love for zero in tennis. Rules that differ from league to league, such as foul limits and game lengths, were left out, and so was every record.

  • In PE, print the unit's set with the word bank on (More options), so a student who sits out has something real to do.
  • Racket, Club and Target Sports holds the scoring words that trip up beginners: Love, Deuce, Par, Birdie, Bogey, Spare and Strike.
  • For stations, press New puzzle between prints so each group gets a different grid from the same set.

Questions and answers

Why are there no teams or players in the clues?

Rosters and records change every season, so a clue about last year's winner is soon wrong. These clues keep to the moves, the scores, the gear and the officials. That also keeps a puzzle fair in a class where children follow different teams, or none.

Does football mean soccer here?

No. The clues use American names: Soccer is the sport in which only the keeper may handle the ball, and Football is the gridiron sport of punts and huddles. Soccer clues call the field the pitch, and Eleven is a full side in either sport.

Are these sports crossword puzzles free to print?

Yes, with no sign-up and no limit on copies. The answer key prints last, and the line that starts "Print gives" has the page count. Large print, in More options, holds each puzzle to 8 words with bigger squares, which suits an end-of-season party.

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