21. A computer readable hardware medium with executable instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a computer processor, cause said computer to execute a method for searching for electronic documents, and providing a search result in response to a search query, the method comprising: receiving a search query from a user, said search query having at least one search query term and receiving a user defined sense to said search system for said one query term; electronically determining a canonical sense of said at least one search query term; displaying alternative senses in which said at least one search query term is used, and receiving the user's selection of at least one the alternative sense; electronically identifying a plurality of alternative terms from a cluster of terms belonging to a same canonical word sense for the at least one search query term based on the user's selection of the at least one alternative sense; electronically displaying said identified plurality of alternative terms for the user; and electronically executing a search for electronic documents that satisfy at least one of said search query term and the plurality of alternative terms.
21. A computer readable hardware medium with executable instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a computer processor, cause said computer to execute a method for searching for electronic documents, and providing a search result in response to a search query, the method comprising: receiving a search query from a user, said search query having at least one search query term and receiving a user defined sense to said search system for said one query term; electronically determining a canonical sense of said at least one search query term; displaying alternative senses in which said at least one search query term is used, and receiving the user's selection of at least one the alternative sense; electronically identifying a plurality of alternative terms from a cluster of terms belonging to a same canonical word sense for the at least one search query term based on the user's selection of the at least one alternative sense; electronically displaying said identified plurality of alternative terms for the user; and electronically executing a search for electronic documents that satisfy at least one of said search query term and the plurality of alternative terms. 27. The computer readable medium of claim 21 , further comprising selectively displaying a canonical sense in which said at least one search query term is presumed to be used.