* Verb: When it describes the action of making a crushing sound, like "The leaves crunched under my feet."
* Noun: When it refers to the sound itself, like "I heard a crunch as the car hit the curb."
* Adjective: Less common, but can describe something that is hard and makes a crunching sound when bitten, like "These cookies are a little too crunchy."
So, to determine the part of speech, you need to look at how the word is used in a sentence.