Context Clues and Examples

Definition/Explanation Clue

Example: "The city holds a bazaar, or market, every other Saturday." The meaning of the noun bazaar can be found in the appositive, market.

Inference/General Context Clue

Example: "The haberdashery was Lou's favorite place. He loved shopping for nice suits. The people who worked there were so friendly and helpful." The meaning of the noun haberdashery is inferred by the information in the next two sentences: it is a place to buy nice suits and is staffed by helpful people, i.e., it is an upscale clothing store.

Tone and Setting Clue

Example: "The hostile dog barked at everyone and everything in sight. He even thought a piece of trash was an enemy, so he barked at it, too." The meaning of the word hostile is shown by the dog's actions, which are "unfriendly" and "aggressive."

Restatement/Synonym

Example: "The remote site was far away from our current location. The sentence provides a synonym, far away, for the adjective remote.

Contrast/Antonym

Example: "We wanted to contribute to the project, not take away from it." The word not signals that the verb contribute is an antonym to "take away from." Therefore, the reader knows it means to "add to."

Restatement/Synonym

The meaning of a word or phrase is revealed by a simple restatement or synonym.

Contrast/Antonym

The meaning of a word or phrase is revealed by a statement of the opposite meaning.

Definition/Explanation Clue

The meaning of a word or phrase is revealed by an explanation immediately following.

Tone and Setting Clue

The meaning of a word or phrase is revealed by the actions or setting.

Inference/General Context Clue

The meaning of a word or phrase is revealed elsewhere in the text, not within the sentence containing the word. Relationships, which are not directly apparent, are inferred or implied.