What is the difference between a tram and a train?

A tram runs on rails set into the street and often shares the road with traffic. A train runs on its own track.

What is a subway called in other countries?

In London it is the Underground or tube, and in many other cities it is the metro.

Which transport words are for water?

In the default puzzle: ferry and canoe. In the challenge: submarine, catamaran, gondola, hovercraft and speedboat.

Can I make a vehicle word search for a toddler class?

Yes. Use the easy puzzle on this page, or type your own short words such as car, bus and train into the generator with a 10 x 10 grid.

Free · No sign-up · 24 ready-made topics

Transport Word Search

A transport word search with 10 words, from bicycle to tram, plus two fixed printable puzzles: eight short vehicle names for beginners and a 15 x 15 challenge of 16 more, from gondola to snowmobile.

Words (one per line, or comma separated)

Or start from a topic:

Grid size

Difficulty

Puzzle title

Subtitle (optional)

Two printable transport puzzles

These two puzzles are fixed: the grid is the same every time, so you can print identical sheets for a class or a party. Each has a word list, a Show answers button, a Print button and a printable answer key. Download both as a PDF (with answer keys)

Transport Word Search 1: Easy Vehicles

Easy 10 x 10 grid · 8 words · 3 to 4 letters

A 10 x 10 puzzle for beginners. Eight short words, hidden across, down and diagonally down to the right only.

Name: ____________________ Date: ______________

SHMUWEAVUTLHBOATEIABEOIHWQMOKNODKPSGLCLMKIEVOTCAROBESIOSAOTCBUSTJETXOFKSLELLLSIIUMFKXTCAEOHEIGTOEZFI

BIKEBOATBUSCARJETSHIPTAXIVAN

Transport Word Search 1: Easy Vehicles: answer key

SHMUWEAVUTLHBOATEIABEOIHWQMOKNODKPSGLCLMKIEVOTCAROBESIOSAOTCBUSTJETXOFKSLELLLSIIUMFKXTCAEOHEIGTOEZFI

BIKE: row 2, column 3, down
BOAT: row 2, column 3, across to the right
BUS: row 7, column 1, across to the right
CAR: row 5, column 7, across to the right
JET: row 7, column 5, across to the right
SHIP: row 1, column 1, diagonally down and to the right
TAXI: row 5, column 6, diagonally down and to the right
VAN: row 1, column 8, diagonally down and to the right

Transport Word Search 2: Transport Challenge

Hard 15 x 15 grid · 16 words · 7 to 10 letters · 10 hidden backwards or upwards

A 15 x 15 puzzle with sixteen longer words, hidden in every direction, including backwards and up.

Name: ____________________ Date: ______________

BLENIRAMBUSRTSUTUUSPEEDBOATYZXULLEQHELICOPTERWOYLBMDRBWASSVINCACDUBITMGKTOHAOIYHOIKBELASOORMRCKBZUELITVPCAOAIRTLEICAEKLAMTCRHAIIRYRBBMBAITTNHABICOOTILTVECRNTIRRNAZLEAEEXAGDAIOORESCCSRZVNFBSTMDTHANCTDDTEALODNOGRUHSGELIBOMWONSG

AMBULANCEBULLDOZERCABLE CARCATAMARANGONDOLAHELICOPTERHOVERCRAFTLOCOMOTIVEMONORAILMOTORCYCLESKATEBOARDSNOWMOBILESPEEDBOATSTREETCARSUBMARINETRICYCLE

Transport Word Search 2: Transport Challenge: answer key

AMBULANCE: row 4, column 11, diagonally down and to the left
BULLDOZER: row 1, column 1, diagonally down and to the right
CABLE CAR: row 7, column 15, down
CATAMARAN: row 13, column 1, up
GONDOLA: row 14, column 14, across to the left
HELICOPTER: row 3, column 6, across to the right
HOVERCRAFT: row 5, column 15, diagonally down and to the left
LOCOMOTIVE: row 3, column 2, down
MONORAIL: row 13, column 11, up
MOTORCYCLE: row 15, column 10, up
SKATEBOARD: row 4, column 12, down
SNOWMOBILE: row 15, column 14, across to the left
SPEEDBOAT: row 2, column 4, across to the right
STREETCAR: row 15, column 3, up
SUBMARINE: row 1, column 11, across to the left
TRICYCLE: row 10, column 4, up

About this transport word search

Vehicles are a reliable favorite with young children, and a transport word search has the added advantage that the words come in groups: land, air and water. The default list is bicycle, scooter, airplane, subway, tractor, ferry, train, truck, canoe and tram, which covers every setting from a city street to a lake.

The easy puzzle uses short names that most children already know: car, bus, van, bike, jet, ship, taxi and boat. The challenge puzzle moves to specialized vehicles, helicopter, hovercraft, catamaran, monorail, bulldozer and snowmobile, as well as a few that are used mainly in one place, like the gondola in Venice and the cable car on a hill.

Sorting is the natural follow-up: which words in the default list travel on land, on water and in the air, and which need rails or a road? Ask students to find the odd one out in each group. For a geography lesson, pair the puzzle with a map and ask which vehicles you would use to cross a country.

Word notes

Subway: an underground railway in a city; called the Underground, Metro or tube elsewhere.
Tram: a vehicle that runs on rails set into a city street.
Ferry: a boat that carries passengers and vehicles across water on a regular route.
Canoe: a light, narrow boat moved with paddles.
Scooter: a small vehicle with two small wheels and a platform, pushed with one foot or driven by a motor.
Tractor: a strong vehicle used on farms to pull machinery.
Airplane: a powered aircraft with fixed wings.

Vocabulary tip

English has regional names for many vehicles: airplane (US) and aeroplane (UK), subway and metro, truck and lorry. Ask students which word they use at home.

Difficulty guide

Generator (default list). The 10 words run from 4 letters (tram) to 8 letters (airplane), 5.9 letters on average and 59 letters in all, which fills about 30% of the default 14 x 14 grid. On the default Medium setting, words can run in five directions. Choose Easy for across, down and diagonal-right only, or Hard to add backwards and upwards.
Easy puzzle. 8 words of 3 to 4 letters in a 10 x 10 grid, with nothing hidden backwards or upwards.
Challenge puzzle. 16 words of 7 to 10 letters in a 15 x 15 grid, with 10 of them hidden backwards or upwards. Streetcar and cable car both contain the word car, and helicopter and hovercraft both begin with h, so first letters alone will not tell you which word you have found.

Ways to use it

Sort the ten words into land, water and air.
Ask students to rank the vehicles from slowest to fastest, then check with a map.
To use your own list, edit the words in the box at the top of the page and press Generate puzzle, or press New layout, same words for a fresh grid. Print it with Show answers ticked to add a separate answer page.

What is the difference between a tram and a train?: A tram runs on rails set into the street and often shares the road with traffic. A train runs on its own track.
What is a subway called in other countries?: In London it is the Underground or tube, and in many other cities it is the metro.
Which transport words are for water?: In the default puzzle: ferry and canoe. In the challenge: submarine, catamaran, gondola, hovercraft and speedboat.
Can I make a vehicle word search for a toddler class?: Yes. Use the easy puzzle on this page, or type your own short words such as car, bus and train into the generator with a 10 x 10 grid.