The present invention provides a novel cross-reactive sensor system utilizing cross-reactive recognition elements. In the inventive system, each of said one or more cross-reactive recognition elements is capable of interacting with more than one species of liquid analyte of interest, whereby each of said one or more cross-reactive recognition elements reacts in a different manner with each of said one or more species of liquid analytes of interest to produce a detectable agent of each analyte of interest, whereby said detectable agent is analyzed and the information is processed for data acquisition and interpretation. In certain preferred embodiments, the detectable agent and/or change is detected directly, while in certain other preferred embodiments, the detectable agent and/or change is detected with the help of a transducing agent capable of relaying information about each detectable agent generated for each of said species of liquid analyte of interest, whereby said information is processed for data acquisition and interpretation. The present invention also provides method for the analysis of analytes comprising contacting one or more analytes with the inventive system described above.