Please Explain How The Digit 1 Can Have Different Values In 111. Can You Help?

We use the base ten system, where the ones place 1 means one 1, 2 means two 1, etc. In  the tens place, 1 means one 10, 2 means two 10s. Etc.  The hundreds place, 1 means one 100, 2 means two 100s.  But you can use any number as a base.  For example in a base 3 system, there would be the ones place (1 means one 1), the 3's place (1 means one 3), the 9's place (because 3 to the 3rd power is 9) where 1 means one 9.  The next place would be 3 to the third power, and everything would be measured in quantities of 27.