Clever is a word that is used for people (mostly for animals such as dogs) who can think of alternative ways to wriggle out of a tough situation. If you put a barrier in front of a moving cockroach, it may not think of a way to get out but a more intelligent creature may find a way to circumvent the barrier. Clever has come to denote a person who is cunning but it is not right as clever is always used in a positive sense. While genius is a person with intellectual or creative power or other natural ability.