The noun lead has 17 senses (first 6 from tagged texts)
1. (11) lead, Pb, atomic number 82 -- (a soft heavy toxic malleable metallic element; bluish white when freshly cut but tarnishes readily to dull grey; "the children were playing with lead soldiers")
2. (7) lead -- (an advantage held by a competitor in a race; "he took the lead at the last turn")
3. (3) lead, track, trail -- (evidence pointing to a possible solution; "the police are following a promising lead"; "the trail led straight to the perpetrator")
4. (3) lead -- (a position of leadership (especially in the phrase `take the lead'); "he takes the lead in any group"; "we were just waiting for someone to take the lead"; "they didn't follow our lead")
5. (1) lead -- (the angle between the direction a gun is aimed and the position of a moving target (correcting for the flight time of the missile))
6. (1) lead, lead-in, lede -- (the introductory section of a story; "it was an amusing lead-in to a very serious matter")
7. lead -- ((sports) the score by which a team or individual is winning)
8. star, principal, lead -- (an actor who plays a principal role)
9. lead -- ((baseball) the position taken by a base runner preparing to advance to the next base; "he took a long lead off first")
10. tip, lead, steer, confidential information, wind, hint -- (an indication of potential opportunity; "he got a tip on the stock market"; "a good lead for a job")
11. lead, lead story -- (a news story of major importance)
12. spark advance, lead -- (the timing of ignition relative to the position of the piston in an internal-combustion engine)
13. leash, tether, lead -- (restraint consisting of a rope (or light chain) used to restrain an animal)
14. lead, leading -- (thin strip of metal used to separate lines of type in printing)
15. lead, pencil lead -- (mixture of graphite with clay in different degrees of hardness; the marking substance in a pencil)
16. jumper cable, jumper lead, lead, booster cable -- (a jumper that consists of a short piece of wire; "it was a tangle of jumper cables and clip leads")
17. lead -- (the playing of a card to start a trick in bridge; "the lead was in the dummy")
Overview of verb lead
The verb lead has 15 senses (first 14 from tagged texts)
1. (40) lead, take, direct, conduct, guide -- (take somebody somewhere; "We lead him to our chief"; "can you take me to the main entrance?"; "He conducted us to the palace")
2. (37) leave, result, lead -- (have as a result or residue; "The water left a mark on the silk dress"; "Her blood left a stain on the napkin")
3. (27) lead -- (tend to or result in; "This remark lead to further arguments among the guests")
4. (17) lead, head -- (travel in front of; go in advance of others; "The procession was headed by John")
5. (17) lead -- (cause to undertake a certain action; "Her greed led her to forge the checks")
6. (13) run, go, pass, lead, extend -- (stretch out over a distance, space, time, or scope; run or extend between two points or beyond a certain point; "Service runs all the way to Cranbury"; "His knowledge doesn't go very far"; "My memory extends back to my fourth year of life"; "The facts extend beyond a consideration of her personal assets")
7. (13) head, lead -- (be in charge of; "Who is heading this project?")
8. (10) lead, top -- (be ahead of others; be the first; "she topped her class every year")
9. (9) contribute, lead, conduce -- (be conducive to; "The use of computers in the classroom lead to better writing")
10. (8) conduct, lead, direct -- (lead, as in the performance of a composition; "conduct an orchestra; Barenboim conducted the Chicago symphony for years")
11. (6) lead -- (pass or spend; "lead a good life")
12. (5) go, lead -- (lead, extend, or afford access; "This door goes to the basement"; "The road runs South")
13. (2) precede, lead -- (move ahead (of others) in time or space)
14. (1) run, lead -- (cause something to pass or lead somewhere; "Run the wire behind the cabinet")
15. moderate, chair, lead -- (preside over; "John moderated the discussion")