Given to, had clutched the wrong end (6)
I believe the answer is:
handed
'given' is the definition.
('hand' can be a synonym of 'give')
'had clutched the wrong end' is the wordplay.
'clutched' is an insertion indicator.
'the wrong' indicates anagramming the letters.
'end' with letters rearranged gives 'nde'.
'had' going around 'nde' is 'HANDED'.
'to' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for handed that I've seen before include "Incontrovertible" , "given" .)