We ask questions about meaning when dealing with symbols. Symbols stand not for themselves, but for other things, so it is necessary to ask what they mean. A language uses words to represent things and ideas. If you express yourself through language, you need to explain what you mean as you go.
But a thing on its own requires no explanation. It is what it is. It doesn't need to explain itself. It is, in fact, meaningless to ask what it means.
