Context Clue Sleuths

This worksheet supports students in Grades 4 and 5 as they build vocabulary knowledge, reading comprehension, and analytical thinking through close examination of homographs in context. By acting as “word sleuths,” learners use sentence clues to determine the correct meaning of multiple-meaning words and explain their reasoning in writing.

Learning Goals

• Using Context Clues (Grades 4-5) – Determine the correct meaning of homographs such as bow, bass, tear, and lead based on sentence context.
• Vocabulary Development – Expand understanding of words with multiple meanings through definition writing.
• Reading Comprehension – Analyze sentence structure and surrounding details to support interpretation.
• Critical Thinking & Inference – Justify word meanings using textual evidence.

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource – Designed by educators to align with upper-elementary ELA vocabulary and comprehension standards.
• Detective-Themed Engagement – Motivates students through an investigative, problem-solving approach.
• Written Reasoning Practice – Requires learners to explain meanings, not just select answers.
• Flexible Use – Ideal for independent practice, small groups, literacy centers, or assessment review.
• Low-Prep Design – Easy to print and implement in classroom or homeschool settings.

This printable worksheet helps students deepen comprehension by actively decoding homographs through context clues. By identifying meanings and explaining their thinking, learners strengthen vocabulary flexibility, inference skills, and close reading strategies. Whether used in a classroom or homeschool environment, this activity provides meaningful, engaging practice that supports confident, precise reading and word analysis.

This worksheet is part of our Homographs collection.