Riddle: With three “eyes” and as black as night, I often knock down ten “men” with a single strike. What am I?

Introduction / Context:
This riddle uses playful metaphors such as “eyes” and “men” to describe features of a sport without naming it directly. The three “eyes” refer to holes, and the ten “men” refer to upright objects that can be knocked over. The picture created is that of a bowling game, an activity that is widely known and appears in many puzzles and quizzes.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The object has three “eyes”, suggesting three holes.
• It is “as black as night” in many common versions, describing its colour.
• It frequently knocks down ten “men” with a single strike.
• The ten “men” are figurative representations of something standing upright.
• The options include Bowling ball, Cannonball, Black meteorite, and Heavy hammer.

Concept / Approach:
In ten pin bowling, the ball usually has three finger holes. These can be poetically called “eyes”. Standard ten pin bowling uses exactly ten pins set up in a triangular formation at the end of a lane. When the ball hits them effectively in one throw, it can knock down all ten pins, which are personified as “men” in the riddle. Many bowling balls are dark coloured, which fits the description “as black as night”.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Interpret “three eyes” as three holes where fingers go in. Step 2: Think of common sports equipment with three holes, such as a bowling ball. Step 3: Connect “ten men” to the set of ten pins used in standard bowling games. Step 4: Recognize that knocking them all down in a single throw is called a strike in bowling, matching the word “strike” in the riddle. Step 5: Conclude that the object can only be a bowling ball.

Verification / Alternative check:
A cannonball can be black and knock things down, but it does not have three holes or “eyes”. A meteorite is simply a rock from space with no standardised number of holes. A heavy hammer has a handle and head, but no three holes or typical connection to ten identical “men”. Only the bowling ball consistently matches the full set of clues, and the language of “strike” is also specific to bowling scoring.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
“Cannonball” and “Black meteorite” do not have three holes for fingers and are not used to knock down a fixed group of ten identical upright figures in a structured game. “Heavy hammer” has a different shape and is not tied to a sport with ten “men” representing pins. Therefore, these options can only be distractors in this puzzle.

Common Pitfalls:
Some learners may be misled by the phrase “as black as night” and focus solely on colour, leading them toward cannonball or meteorite. However, ignoring the three eyes and ten men clues will cause confusion. The best strategy is to consider all parts of the riddle together, especially numbers that hint at specific games and equipment.

Final Answer:
The described object is a Bowling ball used to knock down ten pins in the game of bowling.