The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word PUNNING
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
P
U
N
N
I
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G
More clues leading to the result PUNNING
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "using playful ambiguity?" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case using playful ambiguity? = punning.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does PUNNING mean?
PUNNING verb- To beat; strike with force; to ram; to pound, as in a mortar; reduce to powder, to pulverize.
- To make or tell a pun; to make a play on words.
- The action of the verb to pun.
- That makes or uses a pun.