clew vs clue

clew

noun
  • Yarn or thread as used to guide one's way through a maze or labyrinth; a guide, a clue. 

  • The cords suspending a hammock. 

  • The sheets so attached to a sail. 

  • The lower corner(s) of a sail to which a sheet is attached for trimming the sail (adjusting its position relative to the wind); the metal loop or cringle in the corner of the sail, to which the sheet is attached. (on a triangular sail) The trailing corner relative to the wind direction. 

verb
  • to roll into a ball 

  • (transitive and intransitive) to raise the lower corner(s) of (a sail) 

clue

noun
  • Insight or understanding ("to have a clue [about]" or "to have clue". See have a clue, clue stick) 

  • Information which may lead one to a certain point or conclusion. 

  • An object or a kind of indication which may be used as evidence. 

verb
  • To provide with a clue. 

  • To provide someone with information which he or she lacks (often used with "in" or "up"). 

How often have the words clew and clue occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )