• The Word being studied
• Sentence Context
• Immediate Context/Usage of Same/Similar Words
• Chapter Context/Usage of Same/Similar Words
• Book Context/Usage of Same Words
• Author -- Usage of Same Words
• Parallels -- Usage of Same Words
• Testament (NT or OT) -- Usage of Same Words
• Whole Bible -- Usage of Same Words
• Other Religious Writings -- Usage of Same Words
  (Apocrypha, Josephus, Philo, Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs, etc.)
• Secular and Classical Writings -- Usage of Same Words
  (the closer to the same time of writing, the better)

A word is more likely to have the same meaning as one in another place the higher up the hierarchy one goes. A word is more likely to be the same as in a previous usage (back reference) that in a subsequent usage (forward reference).

Example: body (soma) in I Cor. 11:29
What is the body in the phrase "discerning/recognizing the body"?

Passage	Reference	Verses Away	Discourse/Chapter	Meaning
11:27	back	2	same	physical body of Christ
11:24	back	5	same	physical body of Christ
12:12	forward	17	different	human body (general sense) [illustration]
12:13	forward	18	different	metaphor for church
12:14-25	forward	19-30	different	human body (general sense) [illustration]
12:27	forward	32	different	metaphor for church
10:17	back	45	different	metaphor for church

10:17; 12:13, 27 cannot be allowed to establish the meaning for 11:29 when 11:24, 27 are much closer and in the same context.