byplay vs playing

byplay and playing both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
byplay	Yes	No	No	No
playing	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, playing is a hypernym of byplay; that is, playing is a word with a broader meaning than byplay:

Other hypernyms of byplay include acting, performing, playacting.

byplay (noun)	playing (noun)
incidental activity performed by an actor for dramatic effect	the action of taking part in a game or sport or other recreation
	the act of playing a musical instrument
	the performance of a part or role in a drama