Words seldom have only one very definite meaning. This may, of course, not only apply to the English language. On occasion if one is not paying close attention to a question, confusion or maybe even a small dose of merriment, may result.
Consider two very simple words ROSE and HIPS. Imagine a buyer in a plant nursery asking for “a very fine rose” and is led to a display of a variety of rose plants. What the person actually wanted was a perforated nozzle to fit on a watering can or a hosepipe. Specifically one with perforations that did not gush water over a small and delicate plant but rather flowed gently over it.
HIPS ? Oh that’s easy, we all know this meaning – a part of the human body that occasionally definitely needs thoughts of slimming. But listen in to a gardening conversation and hips have a quite different meaning. HIPS are the fruit of roses!