Double Meanings
The equipment you swing in baseball or a flying mammal
What is a bat? Think twice before aiming a baseball at a mammalian bat. Some species are covered under the Endangered Species Act, and most states have laws against killing bats.
This orange fruit is the star of many Thanksgiving pies.
What is pumpkin? Botanically, all squashes are classified as fruits.
Mr. Rogers sings the tune “It’s a Beautiful Day in the [Place].”
What is neighborhood? This is the opening song to his show Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.
Giving one of these at a wedding reception that’s short and/or entertaining
What is a toast? Short and/or funny is the goal, but most wedding toast speakers drone on, and they don’t always land a punchline understood by most of the guests.
On sweltering summer nights, this insect chorus can be loud enough to rival a lawn mower.
What are crickets? The hotter the night, the more chirps you will hear. The frequency of chirping is dependent on the temperature.
These glowing, 24/7, four-letter signs are above doors, typically in neon red lettering.
What are emergency exit signs? You might see them so often that you don’t notice them until an emergency arises.
A long-legged bird or a tall construction machine
What is a crane? It’s the tallest flying bird, and it can grow up to six feet tall.
Legend has it he became famous for spreading the seeds of this fruit across the frontier.
What are apples? John Chapman was a missionary and nurseryman who traveled throughout the Midwest region supplying nurseries with apple trees.
An extended period without rain causes this condition.
What is drought? In January 2026, California was drought-free for the first time in 25 years.
Folding this bedding item
What is a fitted bedsheet? To fold it, hold the sheet inside out with the shorter side at the top, tuck one corner into another, and repeat with the other corners until you form a rectangle. Then, smooth it and fold it. How you fold it from here depends on its size, but now, you have a flat sheet to work with.
When your parents took this antacid you heard, “Plop, plop, fizz, fizz.”
What is Alka-Seltzer? That was part of a jingle: “Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh what a relief it is.”
This heavenly body associated with nighttime light is often visible during the day.
What is the moon? When you spot the moon during the day, it reflects light from the sun. On the exact day of the full moon, it becomes visible only as the sun sets. Otherwise, the moon rises before sunset.
A group of homes in a neighborhood of comparable size and design
What is tract? Tract homes sit on small lots and date to the 1940s.
These small, tart berries are native to North America and are a Thanksgiving staple.
What are cranberries? They’re grown in the north from Maine to Wisconsin, in the Pacific Northwest, and in British Columbia.
The mildest version of women’s wearable fragrance, this is a cousin to perfume.
What is cologne? The difference is due to the concentration of fragrant oils. Perfume has a concentration of 15–20 percent while cologne’s concentration is only 2–4 percent.
Keeping one of these alive in the house for three months
What is a houseplant? Overwatering is the main reason house plants die inside. We’re taught to water deeply outside, but overwatering indoors leads to yellow leaves and finally phytocide, or killing the houseplant. Check the dirt to see if your plants are bone dry before watering.
Before computers, this sound told typists they’d reached the end of the line.
What is a typewriter’s carriage return bell? The bell warned that you had up to 10 spaces before you would run out of paper: tap-tap-tap-tap... DING! Then, came the best part: WHACK-ZIP, the satisfying slam of the carriage return.
This type of background music was commonly played in elevators, stores, and other public spaces.
What is Muzak? The point of Muzak was to create a pleasant atmosphere for shopping, or more accurately, an atmosphere that was conducive to buying.
A gloomy atmosphere or a cloth draped over a coffin
What is pall? Sad news, serious illness, or tragedy can create a pall in the atmosphere.
This reddish-orange color derives its name from this fruit.
What is a persimmon? While the fruit has a citrus look, it doesn’t have the same flavor profile associated with citrus fruits. One of the varieties has a pudding-like feel when cut open.
This is the category of least problematic tumors.
What is benign? They’re slow growing, noncancerous tumors.
Standing like this while brushing your teeth to help with balance
What is standing on one foot? The doctors at Apex Physical Therapy and Wellness Center suggest two minutes of brushing on each foot.
This melody on the next street over meant it was time to beg your parents for spare change.
What is the ice cream truck? High operating costs coupled with diminishing demand and changing consumer tastes have caused ice cream trucks to all but disappear.
A smoke detector is not always just a smoke detector. It can hide these devices.
What are cameras (or other recording devices)? Now there are devices to detect hidden cameras and audio recorders.
Someone from Wales or to back out of a promise or debt
What is Welsh? The official languages of Wales are Welsh and English. The overwhelming majority speaks English.
This fall fruit belongs to the same family as the apple and pear and has the shape of a disfigured pear.
What is a quince? Raw quinces have an astringent quality, leaving your mouth dry. It’s best eaten cooked or used in jellies and jams. If you poach the quince as you would a pear, you’ll remove the astringency and enjoy its sweetness.
This is the proper name for belly breathing.
What is diaphragmatic breathing (or deep breathing)? It’s more efficient than shallow breathing and allows the lungs to work at full capacity.
Doing this on key by blowing air through your lips
What is whistling? Research reported in the journal Royal Society Open Science surprisingly suggests that whistling on key is easier than singing on key. There’s one catch; you must be able to whistle, and some people can’t do it.
The crunch under bike tires came from this.
What is gravel? Around the mid-20th century, most suburban driveways were gravel, not paved as they are today.
Every home has this service area that acts as the headquarters for power distribution and safety.
What is electrical panel? The cover hides circuit breakers or fuses. If it’s painted the same color as the wall, it often goes undetected. Panels can also be hidden under art.
To split apart or to cling together.
What is cleave? A word that can have opposite meanings is called a contronym. Contronyms can have opposite regional meanings. For example, in the United States, a dollop is a small amount, but in England, it is a large amount.
In Greek mythology, Persephone’s fate was sealed after eating seeds from this fruit.
What is a pomegranate? Zeus’ daughter was doomed to the underworld for half the year.
This word describes a supreme leader or an independent nation.
What is sovereign? The nations of the European Union (EU) are still considered sovereign states, but the EU is not.
Riding with another person on one of these
What is bicycle built for two or tandem bike? It requires excellent communication between the two riders, and the bike is heavier, so it’s harder to steer. Finally, it requires more strength and endurance than riding solo.
Before push buttons and touchscreens, callers heard this after dialing each number.
What is the sound of the rotary phone dial spinning back? You could dial 411 for directory assistance, and they would look up a phone number for you.
This easy-to-miss clue may signal that someone is about to share important news.
What is breath? It’s usually a deep one.