Ambiguous
Etymology
From Latin "ambiguus" (having double meaning, uncertain, shifting), from "ambigere" (to wander about, dispute) — "ambi-" (both ways) plus "agere" (to drive). The word pictures meaning driven in two directions at once.
adjective · /am-BIG-yoo-us/
Open to more than one distinct interpretation.
What it names
Use it precisely when a statement has two or more definite readings — not merely when it is fuzzy or unclear.
Example
"I saw her duck" is ambiguous — a bird, or a sudden crouch.
Related idea
It is not the same as vague: an ambiguous phrase has several sharp meanings you must choose between; a vague one has no sharp meaning at all ("a bunch of people"). Diplomats prize ambiguity precisely because each side can pick its own reading.
See also