Though the locks they are for are not very secure, Skeleton keys are the best looking keys out there. What other keys in history were more ornately made? Skeleton keys were usually made to fit a specific lock, and that lock would have a ward or guard on it. This ward would only allow the key it was made for to pass , or maybe a smaller key. Because the design of the Skeleton key was so general , mulitple keys could be used on the same lock. This was the security issue that arose over time. From my readings I found out that skeleton key also means a key that is made to open many locks. And in most cases , like I'm doing here, I actually mean a bit key or barrel lock key when I refer to skeleton keys. But like most Americans, I was raised knowing them as skeleton keys.