Double definition clues
Two different meanings of the same word sit side by side.
A double definition has no wordplay in the usual sense: the clue is just two definitions of the answer, often with nothing linking them. They are usually short, and the trick is that the two meanings feel unrelated.
Examples
Quick, go without food (4)
FAST: FAST means 'quick', and to fast is to 'go without food'.
Nothing for the batter, or a water bird (4)
DUCK: In cricket a DUCK is a score of nothing; it's also a water bird.
Solving tips
- When a clue is only two or three words and has no obvious indicator, try a double definition.