ESL Weather Vocabulary Worksheets

Twelve weather words to match to plain meanings, from sun and cloud to thunder and rainbow.

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NameDateMade at homeroomtools.comDraw a line from each one on the left to its partner on the right.Weather wordssuncloudrainsnowwindfogstormthunderlightningrainbowhailskywhite flakes of frozen water thatfall from the skyan arch of many colors in the sky,made by light in rainmoving air that you can feeloutsidebad weather with strong windsand often thunder and rainmany tiny drops of water thathang together in the aira sudden bright light in the sky,made by electricitythe bright star that gives theEarth light and heatice that falls from storm clouds insmall hard ballsdrops of water that come downfrom the cloudsthe space above you where themoon and stars are seena thick, low cloud that covers theground and hides thingsthe loud noise in the sky thatcomes with lightning
NameDateMade at homeroomtools.comDraw a line from each one on the left to its partner on the right.Weather wordsAnswer keysuncloudrainsnowwindfogstormthunderlightningrainbowhailskywhite flakes of frozen water thatfall from the skyan arch of many colors in the sky,made by light in rainmoving air that you can feeloutsidebad weather with strong windsand often thunder and rainmany tiny drops of water thathang together in the aira sudden bright light in the sky,made by electricitythe bright star that gives theEarth light and heatice that falls from storm clouds insmall hard ballsdrops of water that come downfrom the cloudsthe space above you where themoon and stars are seena thick, low cloud that covers theground and hides thingsthe loud noise in the sky thatcomes with lightning
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Next step Next: find weather words in a word searchMatch family, body and town words

All 48 words

In the sky 12

  • cloud Many tiny drops of water that hang together in the air. A dark cloud is over the hill.
  • fog A thick, low cloud that covers the ground and hides things. We could not see the road in the fog.
  • hail Ice that falls from storm clouds in small hard balls. Hail hit the roof for a minute.
  • lightning A sudden bright light in the sky, made by electricity. Lightning lit up the whole street.
  • rain Drops of water that come down from the clouds. The rain started after lunch.
  • rainbow An arch of many colors in the sky, made by light in rain. A rainbow came out over the lake.
  • sky The space above you where the moon and stars are seen. The sky is blue today.
  • snow White flakes of frozen water that fall from the sky. The children play in the snow.
  • storm Bad weather with strong winds and often thunder and rain. The storm lasted all night.
  • sun The bright star that gives the Earth light and heat. The sun is out this morning.
  • thunder The loud noise in the sky that comes with lightning. The dog hides when it hears thunder.
  • wind Moving air that you can feel outside. The wind is strong on the bridge.
Show all 48 words (36 more)

Hot and cold 12

  • cold At a low temperature, as a winter night is. It is cold, so I wear two pairs of socks.
  • cool A little cold; neither warm nor very cold. The evening air is cool.
  • degree One unit on a scale that measures temperature. It is one degree warmer today.
  • freezing Very cold; cold enough to turn water into ice. It is freezing outside tonight.
  • frost A thin cover of tiny ice crystals on things outdoors. Frost covered the grass this morning.
  • heat The condition of being hot; a spell of hot weather. The heat makes me sleepy.
  • hot At a high temperature, like fire or boiling water. It is too hot to play outside.
  • ice Water that has frozen and become solid. There is ice on the pond.
  • mild Fairly warm, and not as cold as you expected. We had a mild winter this year.
  • temperature The amount of heat or cold in the air, read as a number. The temperature goes down at night.
  • thermometer A tool used to measure temperature. The thermometer hangs by the door.
  • warm A little hot, in a way that feels pleasant. The sand feels warm under my feet.

Seasons and days 12

  • cloudy With the sky covered by clouds. It is cloudy this afternoon.
  • fall The season after summer, when leaves drop; also autumn. The leaves turn red in fall.
  • forecast A statement of the weather expected in the coming days. The forecast says rain tomorrow.
  • rainy With a lot of rain falling. We stay inside on rainy days.
  • season One of the times of year, such as spring, set by its weather. Which season do you like best?
  • snowy With snow falling or covering the ground. We walked home on a snowy night.
  • spring The season when days get warmer and plants begin to grow. Flowers come up in spring.
  • summer The season with the hottest weather and the longest days. We swim in the lake in summer.
  • sunny With a lot of bright light from the sun. It is a sunny day.
  • weather How hot, wet, windy or cloudy it is in a place right now. The weather is nice today.
  • windy With a lot of wind blowing. It is too windy for an umbrella.
  • winter The season with the coldest weather and the shortest days. We wear heavy coats in winter.

Clothes for the weather 12

  • boots Heavy shoes that also cover part of the leg. My boots are wet from the rain.
  • gloves Hand coverings with a separate place for each finger. My gloves are in my bag.
  • hat A covering for the head, sometimes with a brim. This hat keeps the sun off my face.
  • jacket Clothing for the top half of the body, worn over a shirt. I left my jacket on the bus.
  • mittens Hand coverings that hold the four fingers together. These mittens are very warm.
  • sandals Open shoes held on the foot by straps. She wears sandals on hot days.
  • scarf A long, often knitted piece of clothing worn around the neck. She wears a red scarf.
  • shorts Short pants worn in warm weather, ending above the knees. I wear shorts in summer.
  • sunglasses Dark glasses that protect the eyes from bright sun. He wears sunglasses at the beach.
  • sweater A knitted piece of clothing, often wool, worn for warmth. This sweater is soft and warm.
  • T-shirt A light shirt with short sleeves and no buttons or collar. He has a green T-shirt.
  • umbrella A frame covered with cloth that you hold up against rain. I keep an umbrella in my bag.

How this list was compiled: Word list chosen for this site on 2026-10-09. Each meaning is written in our own words, with common words a beginner knows, and was checked that day against the entry for the word in Wiktionary, the free dictionary (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ followed by the word), whose text is under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license. The example sentence after each meaning is our own. Licence: own work

How it works

These ESL weather vocabulary worksheets open on twelve words from the sky, each to be joined by a line to its meaning. Three more sets print hot and cold words, the seasons, and clothes for the weather.

Read the full guide

Four sets of twelve words

In the sky has sun, cloud, rain, snow, wind, fog, storm, thunder, lightning, rainbow, hail and sky. Hot and cold goes from hot through warm, mild and cool to freezing, and adds temperature, degree and thermometer. Seasons and days and Clothes for the weather follow, spring to sandals.

Sun and sunny, wind and windy

The sky set holds the nouns sun, cloud, rain, wind and snow. Seasons and days holds the adjectives made from them: sunny, cloudy, rainy, windy and snowy. With both sheets a class can say what the day is like: It is a sunny day. It is cloudy this afternoon.

  • The words are American: fall is the season, with autumn named in its meaning. Your own pairs, typed as word = meaning, replace ours.

Questions and answers

What weather words should ESL beginners learn first?

Start with what a class can see outside: sun, cloud, rain, snow and wind. Then add the words for how the air feels (hot, warm, cool, cold) and the four seasons. This is our own order, not an official list.

What is the difference between weather and season?

Weather is how hot, wet, windy or cloudy it is in a place right now. A season is one of the times of year, such as spring, set by its weather. Both words are in the Seasons and days set.

What is the difference between cool and cold?

Cool is a little cold: neither warm nor very cold. Cold is a low temperature, as a winter night is.

Do the weather worksheets have an answer key?

Yes. It is the last page: the first page again, with a line ruled from every word to its meaning.

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