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*** The ''Literature/StarTrekMirrorUniverse'' short story "Empathy", featuring the MirrorUniverse versions of the ''[[Literature/StarTrekTitan Titan]]'' crew. The title refers to the gestalt between the lifeforms of Lru-Irr, which the Alliance wants to exploit. It also refers to Ian Troi and Tuvok's determination to save the Irriol from the Alliance, as well as Bajoran scientist Jaza Najem's own increasing empathy for the Irriol, combined with the love he shares with Terran slave Christine Vale. Perhaps more of a stretch, one of Troi's crew, the sociopathic William Riker, notably ''lacks'' any sort of empathy, possibly because he never met his captain's daughter.
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*** ''Literature/StarTrekMirrorUniverse'':
**** The''Literature/StarTrekMirrorUniverse'' short story "Empathy", featuring the MirrorUniverse versions of the ''[[Literature/StarTrekTitan Titan]]'' crew. The title refers to the gestalt between the lifeforms of Lru-Irr, which the Alliance wants to exploit. It also refers to Ian Troi and Tuvok's determination to save the Irriol from the Alliance, as well as Bajoran scientist Jaza Najem's own increasing empathy for the Irriol, combined with the love he shares with Terran slave Christine Vale. Perhaps more of a stretch, one of Troi's crew, the sociopathic William Riker, notably ''lacks'' any sort of empathy, possibly because he never met his captain's daughter.daughter.
**** The two collections are titled ''Glass Empires'' and ''Obsidian Alliances''. Obviously this refers to the Terran Empire in the 23rd century and the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance in the 24th, associating them both reflective materials because it's the ''mirror'' universe. But glass is also famously ''fragile'', just like the Empire proves to be, and obsidian suggests Cardassia's [[StateSec Obsidian Order]], which also exists within the Alliance.
**** The
**** The two collections are titled ''Glass Empires'' and ''Obsidian Alliances''. Obviously this refers to the Terran Empire in the 23rd century and the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance in the 24th, associating them both reflective materials because it's the ''mirror'' universe. But glass is also famously ''fragile'', just like the Empire proves to be, and obsidian suggests Cardassia's [[StateSec Obsidian Order]], which also exists within the Alliance.
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** ''Literature/AHatFullOfSky'': Chapter seven is named "The Matter of Brian". You'd think its title means "the topic of Brian", but after you've finished it and read about [[spoiler: a demon-possessed Tiffany transmogrifying Brian into a frog, then explaining to his employer that a pink balloon appeared in the room because his remaining ''matter'' had to become something]], you realize that, unfortunately for him, it ''also'' means "the part of Brian which occupies space and possesses mass".
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** ''Literature/AHatFullOfSky'': ''Literature/AHatFullOfSky'':
*** The title of Chapterseven 3 is named "A Single-Minded Lady". It means that Miss Level is a determined woman, which is true, but also refers to the fact that despite having two bodies, she is of a ''single mind'', or is only one person.
*** The title of Chapter 7 is "The Matter of Brian". You'd thinkits title it means "the topic of Brian", but after you've finished it the chapter and read about [[spoiler: a demon-possessed Tiffany Hiver!Tiffany transmogrifying Brian into a frog, then explaining to his employer that a pink balloon appeared in the room because his remaining ''matter'' had to become something]], you realize that, unfortunately for him, it ''also'' means "the part of Brian which occupies space and possesses mass".
*** The title of Chapter
*** The title of Chapter 7 is "The Matter of Brian". You'd think
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* ''The Secret Barrister'', by the anonymous legal blogger of that pseudonym, has the subtitle ''Stories of the Law and How It's Broken''. While the stories to feature people breaking the law, the main point of the book is questioning whether the legal system is fit for purpose; the law itself ''is broken''.
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* ''The Secret Barrister'', by the anonymous legal blogger of that pseudonym, has the subtitle ''Stories of the Law and How It's Broken''. While the stories to do feature people breaking the law, the main point of the book is questioning whether the legal system is fit for purpose; the law itself ''is broken''.
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* ''Literature/TheBridgeOfClay'': as the [[Creator/MarkusZusak author]] himself writes in the foreword, "clay" is both a type of soil and the name of one of the characters, Clay (short for Clayton).
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* ''Literature/TheBridgeOfClay'': ''Literature/BridgeOfClay'': as the [[Creator/MarkusZusak author]] himself writes in the foreword, "clay" is both a type of soil and the name of one of the characters, Clay (short for Clayton).
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* Creator/HarlanEllison's ''Literature/IHaveNoMouthAndIMustScream'': The title [[BaitAndSwitch appears at first]] to refer to the malevolent A.I. of the story, AM, who annihilated all of humanity save for five torture subjects out of [[MemeticMutation HATE]] that they could feel and wander and wonder while it was trapped underground in a "straightjacket of substrata rock" for their benefit. The twist ending is [[ItWasHisSled probably the first thing you ever found out about this story]], but in case you're hearing it here first, [[spoiler: AM turns the last survivor, Ted, into a big, soft, jelly thing]] and the experience is apparently so horrific that he gives us the TitleDrop as the final sentence of the story and second meaning of the title. Indeed, AM literally has no mouth - only capable of communicating through telepathy - so it's implied [[BlueAndOrangeMorality it intended this to be]] a KarmicTransformation for [[spoiler: Ted]].
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* All of the titles in the ''Literature/GirlsOfManyLands'' have a dual meaning: they sound poetic to evoke the mood of the cultural setting and are all literally present and important to the character of the book in some way.
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Moving from Double Meaning.
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** ''Literature/AHatFullOfSky'': Chapter seven is named "The Matter of Brian". You'd think its title means "the topic of Brian", but after you've finished it and read about [[spoiler: a demon-possessed Tiffany transmogrifying Brian into a frog, then explaining to his employer that a pink balloon appeared in the room because his remaining ''matter'' had to become something]], you realize that, unfortunately for him, it ''also'' means "the part of Brian which occupies space and possesses mass".
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* ''Literature/ImThinkingOfEndingThings'' could refer to the relationship between Jake and the young woman, which she finds unhappy, or [[spoiler:Jake's own life, which ends at the end of the novel]].
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* ''Literature/LockwoodAndCo'':
** ''The Hollow Boy'' refers both to a ghost encountered in the book and to Lockwood’s feeling of inner emptiness following his family’s deaths.
** ''The Empty Grave'' is the Fittes mausoleum and also Lockwood’s yet-to-be-filled grave at his family’s plot.
** ''The Hollow Boy'' refers both to a ghost encountered in the book and to Lockwood’s feeling of inner emptiness following his family’s deaths.
** ''The Empty Grave'' is the Fittes mausoleum and also Lockwood’s yet-to-be-filled grave at his family’s plot.
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* The title of ''Literature/SmallWorldTabithaKingNovel'' reflects both the miniaturized world inside the Doll's White House and the myriad of connections that link all the characters (i.e., a world in which everyone knows everyone in some way).
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* Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows: PlayedWith. ''Deathly Hallows'' is translated as "The Relics of Death" in many languages, which turns the title into this trope. A reader would initially think said relics are Voldemort's Horcruxes (which allow him to cheat death) especially since some of them are very culturally-valued relics in the wizarding world -- such as those that belonged to Hogwarts' Founders. It doesn't help that the most common interpretation of the adverb "deathly" is that of "lethal", something that the Horcruxes are in spades because of the traps that surround them and/or their possession and TheCorrupter potential. However, it's later revealed this installment is a case of a MacGuffinTitle, because the Deathly Hallows do exist and have very little to do with Horcruxes.
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* Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows: ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows'': PlayedWith. ''Deathly Hallows'' is translated as "The Relics of Death" in many languages, which turns the title into this trope. A reader would initially think said relics are Voldemort's Horcruxes (which allow him to cheat death) especially since some of them are very culturally-valued relics in the wizarding world -- such as those that belonged to Hogwarts' Founders. It doesn't help that the most common interpretation of the adverb "deathly" is that of "lethal", something that the Horcruxes are in spades because of the traps that surround them and/or their possession and TheCorrupter potential. However, it's later revealed this installment is a case of a MacGuffinTitle, because the Deathly Hallows do exist and have very little to do with Horcruxes.
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* HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows: PlayedWith. ''Deathly Hallows'' is translated as "The Relics of Death" in many languages, which turns the title into this trope. A reader would initially think said relics are Voldemort's Horcruxes (which allow him to cheat death) especially since some of them are very culturally-valued relics in the wizarding world -- such as those that belonged to Hogwarts' Founders. It doesn't help that the most common interpretation of the adverb "deathly" is that of "lethal", something that the Horcruxes are in spades because of the traps that surround them and/or their possession and TheCorrupter potential. However, it's later revealed this installment is a case of a MacGuffinTitle, because the Deathly Hallows do exist and have very little to do with Horcruxes.
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* HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows: Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows: PlayedWith. ''Deathly Hallows'' is translated as "The Relics of Death" in many languages, which turns the title into this trope. A reader would initially think said relics are Voldemort's Horcruxes (which allow him to cheat death) especially since some of them are very culturally-valued relics in the wizarding world -- such as those that belonged to Hogwarts' Founders. It doesn't help that the most common interpretation of the adverb "deathly" is that of "lethal", something that the Horcruxes are in spades because of the traps that surround them and/or their possession and TheCorrupter potential. However, it's later revealed this installment is a case of a MacGuffinTitle, because the Deathly Hallows do exist and have very little to do with Horcruxes.
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* The title of ''Literature/ArcOfAScythe'' refers to both the arched shape of a scythe's blade and the developmental arcs the titular scythedom, the universe's MurderInc which, to save the human race from overpopulation, must kill people permanently in world where permanent death is (almost) eradicated, must go through.
* The title of ''Literature/TheAlexanderInheritance'', a Creator/EricFlint novel refers to both the novel taking place in the aftermath of Alexander the Great's death and the settling of his empire, as well as a previous time displacement from the novel ''Literature/TimeSpike'' (which is references in this book) involving the Alexander Correctional Institute.
* ''Literature/AllQuietOnTheWesternFront'''s German title, ''Im Westen nichts Neues'', means "Nothing New in the West". Like the English translation, this is [[spoiler:the report given by the papers and military on the day the protagonist dies]], but it also refers to the [[HistoryRepeats constant cycle]] and [[WarIsHell futile nature]] of war.
* Every book in the ''Literature/ArkadyRenko'' series of mystery novels, written by Creator/MartinCruzSmith, beginning with ''Literature/GorkyPark'', have titles that first clearly reference one thing, then towards the climax of the book are revealed to refer to something much more important. Titles include ''Gorky Park'', ''Polar Star'', ''Red Square'', ''Havana Bay'', and ''Wolves Eat Dogs''.
* Creator/IsaacAsimov's "Literature/TheWateryPlace": The aliens in this story said "the [[VenusIsWet watery place]]", meaning {{UsefulNotes/Venus}}. Unfortunately, the Sheriff thinks the [[HumanAliens aliens are from Italy]], so when they said "the [[CityOfCanals watery place]]", he thought they meant {{UsefulNotes/Venice}}. The title can refer to either one, and the whole plot was [[{{Feghoot}} a joke at the similarity in sound/description between Venus and Venice]].
* The ''Literature/AToZMysteries'' book ''The Orange Outlaw'' has the meanings "the outlaw that has orange hair" and "the outlaw who stole oranges". The outlaw is a trained monkey who steals a painting and leaves a big mess of orange peels because of its enormous appetite.
** Earlier in the series was "The Bald Bandit". This can refer either to Lucky O'Leary, who filmed a bank robbery and later shaved his head so the robber wouldn't recognize him,or the robber himself, who is naturally bald [[spoiler: and wore a wig and fake mustache as part of his disguise as a private detective.]]
* ''Literature/TheBaroqueCycle'':
** ''The Baroque Cycle'' as a whole is not only set in the Baroque era but also exceedingly complex.
** The first book is called ''Quicksilver''. Two of the recurring topics of the series are the element mercury (i.e., quicksilver) in chemistry and alchemy, and the birth of the modern economic system in which money (i.e., silver) can flow ''quickly'' from place to place.
** ''The Confusion'' is not only about the confusion of metals (in the alchemical sense) and the confusion of messages (in the cryptography sense), or even a certain amount of confusion in the modern "what's going on?" sense, but the Author's Note explains that the book's structure (alternate chapters of [[TwoLinesNoWaiting parallel narratives]]) is an alchemical confusion as well.
* In Creator/RobertAHeinlein's ''Literature/BetweenPlanets'', a portion of the story takes place on an interplanetary space ship traveling from Earth to Venus, that is "Between Planets". However, the protagonist was born in space when his parents were on a previous voyage from Earth to Mars leaving him to consider himself a citizen of the Solar System. With the Earth/Venus conflict, he wanted to remain neutral because he was "Between Planets" and had been on his way back to Mars when the Venusian Rebels seized the space station that was the transfer point to interplanetary craft.
* Creator/StephenKing's ''The Body'' was published in ''Literature/DifferentSeasons'', which is a collection of four novellas, each themed after one of the four seasons and with a different [[EitherOrTitle subtitle]] based on that season. ''The Body'''s subtitle is ''Fall from Innocence'', referring to "fall" as in a huge decline, but also as in the season, autumn.
* ''Literature/TheBridgeOfClay'': as the [[Creator/MarkusZusak author]] himself writes in the foreword, "clay" is both a type of soil and the name of one of the characters, Clay (short for Clayton).
* The ''Literature/BrotherCadfael'' novel ''The Rose Rent''; a widow donates her property to the Abbey at Shrewsbury, in return for a single white rose to be delivered to her once every year as rent for the property. Later, Niall, a bronze-smith sent to deliver the rose, is found dead, and the white rose bush is rent - that is, hacked at its bole.
* ''Literature/TheCampHalfBloodSeries'': In ''[[Literature/TheHeroesOfOlympus The Lost Hero]]'', Percy has gone missing and since he was TheHero of the last series, it seems like the title might apply to him. By the end of the book, the same can be said for [[spoiler:Jason]].
* Creator/OrsonScottCard's ''Literature/ChildrenOfTheMind''. Ender joins the Catholic religious order known as the Filhos da Mente de Cristo in Portuguese -- in English, it's the Children of the Mind of Christ. But two of the other main characters in that book, Peter and Val Wiggin, [[ItMakesSenseInContext were accidentally created from Ender's memories when he went outside the universe]] -- they're the Children of the Mind of Ender.
* The sixth (and at the time final) book of ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfAncientDarkness'' is titled ''Ghost Hunter'', referring both to Torak searching for the ghostlike [[EvilSorcerer Eostra]] (as the first six titles all refer to roles he takes) and to Eostra herself, who [[{{Necromancer}} can raise the dead]]. A ''third'' meaning is name-dropped in the text by Krukoslik, who refers to Wolf (and wolves in general) as ghost hunters due to how silently they track their prey.
* ''[[Webcomic/CiemWebcomicSeries Ciem: Vigilante Centipede]]'' has a planned sequel dubbed ''Nuclear Crisis'', which both refers to Capp Aard stealing a [[GreenRocks radioactive blue rock]] called the Ming-Yo [[YellowPeril from China]]; and to Candi's struggles with keeping her growing family safe. Especially since she's [[WeaksauceWeakness pregnant]] and [[WorfHadTheFlu has the flu]], [[DeusExitMachina her new husband has cancer]], her sister [[BigScrewedUpFamily is pregnant and engaged to a treasure hunter]], and her sister is on the run from spies and a GovernmentConspiracy. And she [[TemptingFate plans to adopt a 3-year-old]].
* In the poem "The Collar" by George Herbert, the title can be taken to refer to either a priest's collar or a slave's collar. Since the text poem consists of someone crying out (i.e., they're a caller) in anger (i.e., choler), it's also a PunBasedTitle.
* ''Literature/CrazyRichAsians'' uses some AmbiguousSyntax to create the double meaning of either "Asians who are ''extremely'' wealthy" or "wealthy Asians who act bizarrely". Both definitions are applicable to the story.
* ''Literature/DaveBarrySleptHere'' has "Chapter Eleven: The Nation Enters [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chapter_11,_Title_11,_United_States_Code Chapter Eleven]]".
* ''Literature/DiaryOfAWimpyKid: Dog Days'': The subtitle refers to the summer setting, but also the Heffley's adopting a dog.
* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'':
** The title of ''Literature/SoulMusic'' refers to both the actual genre of music and the fact that, in the book, the music literally gets into people's souls.
** ''Literature/TheFifthElephant'' refers to an old legend about a fifth elephant that used to support the Disc, but which slipped off and crashed down on the flat world in the distant past. It's also an {{Uberwald}}ian expression (derived from said myth) that can variously mean "that which does not exist," "that which is not what it seems," and "that which while unseen controls events." ''All'' of these interpretations come into play over the course of the novel. In addition, it's a pun on quintessence, the "fifth element."
** ''Literature/MonstrousRegiment'' refers both to the 'monstrous' nature of the regiment to which the main character belongs (which includes a vampire, a troll, and an [[TheIgor Igor]]) and [[SpoilerTitle the main twist]], though only to those who've read the rather obscure political work ''The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment [[spoiler: of Women]]''
** The title of ''Literature/{{Thud}}'' refers to both the VariantChess played in the series and the opening line--onomatopoeia for being hit by a club. Both are important plot points and the opposite of each other, representing the violent and peaceful solutions for the FantasticRacism between dwarves and trolls.
** ''Literature/GoingPostal'' refers both to going insane and delivering mail.
** ''Literature/MakingMoney'' refers to producing currency and to getting rich.
** ''Literature/{{Snuff}}'' refers to murder and tobacco.
** ''Literature/WyrdSisters'' is most obviously a reference to the three witches from Theatre/{{Macbeth}}, which highlights the many Shakesperian allusions in the story and the main characters. While 'wyrd' is an old fashioned spelling of 'weird', it can also be pronounced as 'word': the main theme of the book is the power of words and stories.
* ''Franchise/DoctorWhoExpandedUniverse'':
** The title of the ''Literature/DoctorWhoNewAdventures''/''Literature/SherlockHolmes'' crossover ''The All-Consuming Fire'' is [[DirectLineToTheAuthor chosen by Watson]] quite early in the book as a reference to a horrific case of SpontaneousHumanCombustion. However, much later there's ''another'' TitleDrop, when the villain refers to his army as an all-consuming fire, sweeping across the planet.
** In-universe example: AdventurerArchaeologist and HardDrinkingPartyGirl Professor Franchise/BerniceSummerfield's memoirs are entitled ''Down Among the Dead Men''. While this ''could'' describe excavating a tomb, the song the phrase comes from is ''actually'' referring to lying under the table, surrounded by empty bottles.
* ''Literature/TheDrawingOfTheDark'' sounds like a story about dark forces drawing near--and it is--but mainly, the title refers to drawing a tankard of dark beer. Magical dark beer. Beer that will restore the FisherKing and save the West.
* Most of the titles endemic in ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles''. The only exceptions are ''Literature/{{Changes}}'', which is ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin, and ''Literature/DeathMasks'', where the title doesn't have much to do with the story (it was originally going to be called ''Holy Sheet'', which does follow the pattern). For instance:
** ''Literature/GravePeril'' features Harry in... well, grave peril, mostly due to [[TheUndead vampires and ghosts]][[note]]DontExplainTheJoke Grave, get it?[[/note]].
** ''Literature/SummerKnight'' begins with the murder of the Summer Knight, happens on summer nights, and [[Theatre/AMidsummerNightsDream is about fairies]].
** ''Literature/DeadBeat'' in particular is a triple-loaded title: a deadbeat, as in a poor guy, dead beat, as in very tired, a dead beat, as in a cop's beat that is either slow or deadly, and a dead beat, as in [[spoiler:the rhythm that the dead move to]].
* ''Literature/TheEagleTree'': "Holy Trinity" refers to three things: the theological concept, which is the subject of a sermon at March's church; the three components of lichen; and [[spoiler:the new genus of lichen that March discovers and gets to name]].
* Ian [=McEwan=]'s ''Enduring Love'' could just mean a love that lasts (most people just assume this is the meaning), but it has a second meaning: tolerating love or putting up with love.
* The Ming-period Chinese classic ''Literature/FengshenYanyi'', usually translated as the "Investiture of the Gods", has one in the title word "Fenghshen": the fantastic side of the story has the hero, Jiang Ziya, being tasked by the head honcho of Chan Taoism Yuanshi Tianzun with finding and promoting 365 notable immortals and heroes to deities. In order to do so, he builds a massive altar structure where the souls of said notable people are gathered, waiting for their promotion to deities. Fengshen can either be read as "Sealing Spirits" (as in, souls) and as "Bestowing Divinity", the final purpose of Jiang Ziya's task.
* Michael Chabon came up with a particularly dark one when he wrote a novella about an 80-something Literature/SherlockHolmes helping a young boy. It was effectively a spiritual successor to Doyle's story ''The Final Problem'', with the added detail that the boy was a Jewish Holocaust escapee. The title: ''Literature/TheFinalSolution''.
* James Joyce deliberately did not put an apostrophe in the title of ''Literature/FinnegansWake'' to create a double meaning. It can be read in (at least) two different ways, either it is the wake of Finnegan or multiple Finnegans wake up.
* ''Literature/GauntsGhosts'': In addition to both the name of the first novel and regiment name, Tanith First and Only, [[spoiler: it also referrers to Ibhram Gaunt is the first and only son to his father.]]
* The original Norwegian title of Alexander Kielland's ''Gift'' can be translated into either "poison" or "married". The former refers to how the students are "poisoned" by rote learning of topics unrelated to real life and societal norms. The latter is less important, but one character is stuck in a marriage and in love with another man.
* ''Literature/GoneGirl''. The character of Amy has disappeared and is presumed to be dead. Also, [[spoiler: as far as her mental state is concerned, she's ''completely'' '''gone'''.]]
* ''Literature/HaltingState'': A "halting state" is the condition of a computer that has reached the end of its programming and will do nothing until it gets further instructions (or that it's stuck on the same spot). Appropriate for a novel about the software-saturated world, but it also refers to [[spoiler: bringing a nation state to a standstill.]]
* HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows: PlayedWith. ''Deathly Hallows'' is translated as "The Relics of Death" in many languages, which turns the title into this trope. A reader would initially think said relics are Voldemort's Horcruxes (which allow him to cheat death) especially since some of them are very culturally-valued relics in the wizarding world -- such as those that belonged to Hogwarts' Founders. It doesn't help that the most common interpretation of the adverb "deathly" is that of "lethal", something that the Horcruxes are in spades because of the traps that surround them and/or their possession and TheCorrupter potential. However, it's later revealed this installment is a case of a MacGuffinTitle, because the Deathly Hallows do exist and have very little to do with Horcruxes.
* The title ''Literature/HighFidelity'' refers both to record albums (it's what "hi-fi" is short for, if you didn't know) and to commitment in romantic relationships.
* ''Literature/HollowKingdom2019'': "Hollow Kingdom" refers both to the world that the Hollows (humans) built and how hollow said world feels in the wake of their inhabitants getting zombified.
* Creator/IsaacAsimov's "{{Literature/Hostess}}": The title refers to Dr Rose Smollett, whose third-person perspective forms the basis of this story. The word "host" (or the feminine form, "hostess") refers to someone who is responsible for supplying hospitality to a visitor, or to an organism in which a parasite or commensal organism lives. She is currently hosting Dr Tholan, and all humans are host to a race of [[MindVirus parasitic]] creatures [[EnergyBeings with no physical form]].
* Creator/PeterDavison's autobiography ''Is There Life Outside the Box?'' The title clearly refers to having a life outside his television career, but is "the box" the TV or [[Series/DoctorWho the TARDIS]]?
* ''Literature/LongForThisWorld'' refers both to {{Immortality}} and the desire for it.
* All three books of Creator/RichardKMorgan's ''Literature/ALandFitForHeroes'' trilogy. ''The Steel Remains'', ''The Cold Commands'' and ''The Dark Defiles'' can be interpreted as adjective plus noun ("the remains made out of steel") or noun plus verb ("the steel that remains"). And in all three cases both interpretations make sense within the context of the book.
* ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' refers both to Sauron, that heavy and evil menace always present in the background and the hero's mind throughout all the Book, but also to the hypothetical Master of the One Ring. "The Lord of the Rings" is an idea of what you could become if you can master it, and it is the temptation that the hero must resist if he is to conquer. In that sense it can represent Frodo or Gandalf or Aragorn or Saruman or Boromir or Galadriel or Sam or anyone really.
** It can also refer to [[ArtifactOfDoom The One Ring]] itself, forged to be the master of all the other rings.
** The title of the second part, ''The Two Towers'', can refer to the unholy alliance between Orthanc and Barad-dûr (this meaning was used for a TitleDrop in the film); the opposition of the White Tower of Minas Tirith and The Dark Tower of Barad-dûr; or the fact that the plot of each half builds to a climax at Orthanc and the Tower of Cirith Ungol (or arguably Minas Morgul) respectively.
* In ''Louise Loves Art'', a childrens' picture book by Kelly Light, the protagonist is is a budding illustrator named Louise who loves two things: drawing, and her little brother Art.
* The second of Creator/MarkGatiss' ''Lucifer Box'' novels is called ''The Devil in Amber''. The most obvious reference is to the rising fascist leader who dresses himself and his army in amber shirts, but once his EvilPlan is revealed, it becomes a reference to [[spoiler:a literal devil [[SealedEvilInACan sealed away]] (i.e. preserved "in amber", like the mosquito in ''Film/JurassicPark'') until its summoning rite is performed.]]
* ''Literature/TheManWhoFellToEarth'' refers to both the AlienAmongUs hero's physical arrival on Earth and his metaphorical falling to the vices and treacheries of humanity.
* ''Literature/MarketOfMonsters'': The trilogy centers around the illicit black market trade of "unnatural" humans and their body parts. It's a market that sells "monsters," but since HumansAreTheRealMonsters, it's more accurately a market run by and belonging to monsters.
* ''Literature/{{Middlesex}}'' refers not only to Cal's intersex condition, but also to the street where she spent her late childhood and adolescence.
* ''Literature/{{Misery}}'' refers to the main character of Paul Sheldon's flagship cheesy romance novel series, [[MetafictionalTitle Misery Chastain]], and the misery he faces when he is injured in a car crash and taken under the care of LoonyFan Annie Wilkes, who finds out that he plans to kill Misery off in his next book and decides to pull a SavedByTheFans... with painful consequences for Paul if he at any point refuses to go along.
* In Creator/HalClement's novel ''Literature/MissionOfGravity'', a probe was landed on an a massive planet, to ''study'' gravity. When the probe's launch failed, recovering the data becomes a mission of ''importance''.
* ''Literature/{{Newshound}}'' is one of these, since the word is a slang term for a journalist, as well as a literal pun on the main character, Heather Stone, who is a werewolf journalist.
* ''Literature/{{Noob}}'':
** The title of the first chapter of the third novel can be loosely translated from the original French as "Facing Chaos alone". It gets a TitleDrop as the title of an old article about Fantöm's victory against the Source of Chaos, but is also quite appropriate for the reason for which that chapter is a DownerBeginning.
** A chapter from the fourth novel is titled "Double jeu", which can mean both DoublePlay and PlayingBothSides. Given it focuses on a player that has two active avatars in different factions, both interpretations are appropriate.
* Julie Orringer's short story "Pilgrims" takes place on Thanksgiving Day, and it involves an awkward Thanksgiving dinner that's likened to a feast between "Pilgrims and Indians". Said dinner also happens to take place on a New Age commune for cancer patients, where the adults in attendance are literal pilgrims (that is, people on a religious journey of healing and self-discovery).
* Not ''Franchise/StarTrek'', but ''Star Trek''-related: A book of poetry and prose written by an Assistant Director while working on Star Trek Voyager and Enterprise is named ''[[http://www.michaeldemeritt.com/ Poetry and Prose from the Director's Ass]]''. Given a lot of the jobs an Assistant Director does, the title is fitting...
* The novel (and musical) ''Literature/{{Ragtime}}'' by E. L. Doctorow takes place during the heyday of ragtime music, and one of the lead characters is a ragtime performer; but the title also refers to the persistent poverty among the underprivileged classes of that era--it was "rag time".
* Ian Rankin has a lot of these. The ''Literature/{{Rebus}}'' novel ''Fleshmarket Close'', for instance, starts out in the Edinburgh street of the same name (so called because it used to be a butcher's market), but goes on to be about two different "fleshmarkets"; prostitution and trade in illegal immigrants.
* ''The Secret Barrister'', by the anonymous legal blogger of that pseudonym, has the subtitle ''Stories of the Law and How It's Broken''. While the stories to feature people breaking the law, the main point of the book is questioning whether the legal system is fit for purpose; the law itself ''is broken''.
* ''Literature/TheSorcererOfTheWildeeps'': "Sorcerer" is not just Demane's nickname among the brothers, the jukiere haunting the Wildeeps is also a kind of animalistic, necromantic sorcerer in the form of a tiger. Additionally, in the end of the book [[spoiler:Demane has to remain in the Wildeeps until he manages to kill the ''other'' jukiere within the jungle as well, effectively making him the Sorcerer of the Wildeeps]].
* ''Franchise/StarTrekExpandedUniverse'':
** The Diane Duane TOS novel ''Literature/DoctorsOrders'', in which Dr. [=McCoy=] is left in command of the ''Enterprise'', the double meaning being that [=McCoy=] is a doctor and in command (thus giving orders), and the phrase "doctor's orders" which describes a doctor's instructions to his patients.
** ''Literature/StarTrekNovelverse'':
*** The ''Literature/StarTrekMirrorUniverse'' short story "Empathy", featuring the MirrorUniverse versions of the ''[[Literature/StarTrekTitan Titan]]'' crew. The title refers to the gestalt between the lifeforms of Lru-Irr, which the Alliance wants to exploit. It also refers to Ian Troi and Tuvok's determination to save the Irriol from the Alliance, as well as Bajoran scientist Jaza Najem's own increasing empathy for the Irriol, combined with the love he shares with Terran slave Christine Vale. Perhaps more of a stretch, one of Troi's crew, the sociopathic William Riker, notably ''lacks'' any sort of empathy, possibly because he never met his captain's daughter.
*** The ''Literature/StarTrekTitan'' novel ''Orion's Hounds''. Orion refers both to the constellation of the hunter, and to the galaxy's Orion arm. The Pa'haquel race, who hunt spacefaring lifeforms across the Orion Arm, are the eponymous hounds in two senses.
*** The ''Literature/StarTrekTyphonPact'' novel ''Zero Sum Game'' refers not only to the obvious meaning but also to a cold war scenario and to the Breen civilization, who are famed for liking the cold. The novel revolves around a cat-and-mouse game between Starfleet and the Breen while Breen scientists try to reverse-engineer stolen Federation technology.
*** The ''Literature/StarTrekDepartmentOfTemporalInvestigations'' novel ''Watching the Clock'' refers both to the DTI's role in protecting and monitoring the timeline, and to the mundane nature of its agents, who are most certainly not Starfleet-style adventurers. The DTI know that if they're having an adventure, they've already screwed up, and it's going to pay hell with the paperwork. No, they're 9-to-5 government employees, and like to keep things as unchaotic and, ideally, dull, as possible.
* ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'':
** Creator/TimothyZahn likes these.
*** ''Literature/TheThrawnTrilogy'': ''Heir to the Empire'' could refer to the New Republic which has risen as the Empire fell or to Grand Admiral Thrawn, who has returned from a long absence to take up the Empire's remains. Or to C'baoth. ''Dark Force Rising'' may be the ''[[KatanasAreJustBetter Katana]]'' fleet, the Dark Side of the Force, or Thrawn's Empire. ''The Last Command'' might be Palpatine's final command to his Hand, or another reference to Thrawn.
*** ''Literature/HandOfThrawn'' duology: "Hand of Thrawn" itself could be the influence he has even after his death, the dissidents [[DeadPersonImpersonation impersonating]] him, and the various things related to that fortress on Niruan. ''Specter of the Past'' is, obviously, referring to Thrawn, but also to the pasts of the other characters that affect them still, and on a meta note, Zahn's unhappiness about what other authors did to his characters. ''Vision of the Future'' is more straightforward, but you could make a case for it being Luke's vision, the things the Empire of the Hand are preparing for, and the future of the Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse itself.
*** "[[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Mist_Encounter Mist Encounter]]" can be seen as the meeting of the exiled Thrawn and Imperial forces on the misty world of his exile, or the pun "Missed encounter" -- the Imperial forces are there to chase [[Literature/XWingSeries Booster Terrick]], who took cover and were ignored for the events transpiring around him. "[[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Command_Decision Command Decision]]" can be the decision made by the ranking officer -- Thrawn -- or the decision his subordinates, not understanding his [[MilitaryMaverick rather unorthodox and possibly traitorous orders]], come to regarding whether he is fit for command. "[[http://star-wars.suvudu.com/2011/02/star-wars-tim-zahn-judges-call-short-story.html Judge's Call]]" can be about how Luke clearly felt called to arbitrate, or about how he called for that private time with his wife.
** Just in general, a number of ''Legends'' books have titles like this.
*** ''[[Literature/XWingSeries Rogue Squadron]]'' refers to both the name of the New Republic's best starfighter squadron and their [[MildlyMilitary unpredictable, not-by-the-book]] attitude. ''Wedge's Gamble'' encompasses the missions that Wedge and the Rogues head off on and the absolute, unwavering trust he has for possible ManchurianAgent Tycho Celchu. ''The Krytos Trap''? That's the two ways that the Krytos plague "traps" the New Republic; killing non-humans and being part of a ploy to turn them against the human members. ''Solo Command'' is the taskforce under the command of General Solo and Wraith Squadron coming under the command of Face Loran.
*** In the Coruscant Nights Trilogy, one book is ''Patterns of Force''. In that title, Force means what it usually means in ''Star Wars'' as well as what it means everywhere else.
*** A storm does approach in ''The Approaching Storm'', which also refers to the enemies who attack and, conceivably, the slight ''wrongness'' of Anakin Skywalker.
* ''Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! Adventures of a Curious Character'' -- UsefulNotes/RichardFeynman was a curious character in two senses of the term -- a rather strange character, who was curious about everything.
* ''Literature/ATasteOfHoney'': Honey, being a sticky liquid, is often associated with eroticism, with 'a taste of honey' implying a short, sweet moment of pleasure, just as the short time Aqib and Lucrio can share their love in the story. A taste of honey in the literal sense is also what the Sybil demands of Aqib in the end as payment for her service. [[spoiler:He has to smear his hand in honey and let her gnaw it off. The hand, not just the honey.]]
* ''Thin Air'' by Creator/RichardKMorgan. As in "vanish into thin air" and "low air pressure at great heights".
* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'': Creator/DanAbnett's Literature/GauntsGhosts novel ''His Last Command'' has multiple {{Title Drop}}s to both meanings: "the last unit he commanded" and "the last order he gave."
* ''Literature/WarAndPeace'': Its title in the original Russian is ''Voyna i mir''. 'Mir' means peace, but also 'the world' so the possible translation is ''War and the World''.
* ''Literature/WaysideSchool Gets a Little Stranger'', true to its name, is definitely the weirdest of the three books, but the title also refers to [[spoiler:the baby girl Mrs. Jewls gives birth to at the end of the book, the eponymous "little stranger"]].
* ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'': ''[[http://whateleyacademy.net/index.php/9-original-canon/131-catgirl-madness Catgirl Madness]]'': The events, "madness", about a catgirl? And also the (false) diagnosis of schizophrenia that catgirl gets.
* ''Literature/WindAndShadow'' refers to the main female character, Wind Haworth, and the main antagonist, who is a Shadow[[note]]a being MadeOfEvil[[/note]], as well as to the book's thematic elements: the ability of people to heal or to harm (wind, which can be beneficial or devastating) and spiritual darkness and temptation (shadow).
* The ''Literature/WingsOfFire'' book series has this in book 3, ''The Hidden Kingdom'', which both can refer to the [[HiddenElfVillage kingdom of the [=RainWings=]]], hidden in the rainforest, and the secret home of the [=NightWings=], a volcanic island that nobody but the [=NightWings=] themselves knows about. Book 4, ''The Dark Secret'', also has this, as it details the [=NightWings'=] plans to invade the rainforest and wipe out the [=RainWings=], while also revealing that [[spoiler:the prophecy that's been the driving force behind the narrative isn't even real.]]
* ''Literature/WyldersHand'' has a triple meaning: It could refer to Mark Wylder's hand in marriage, his handwriting, or the body part. All three are relevant to the plot at some point.
* ''Literature/TheYiddishPolicemensUnion'': The actual Yiddish Policemen's Union (i.e. the police union whose card Landsman carries) is largely irrelevant to the plot of the book, which is at least partially about the union (or more accurately ''reunion'') between Landsman and his ex-wife, both Yiddish police officers.
----
* The title of ''Literature/TheAlexanderInheritance'', a Creator/EricFlint novel refers to both the novel taking place in the aftermath of Alexander the Great's death and the settling of his empire, as well as a previous time displacement from the novel ''Literature/TimeSpike'' (which is references in this book) involving the Alexander Correctional Institute.
* ''Literature/AllQuietOnTheWesternFront'''s German title, ''Im Westen nichts Neues'', means "Nothing New in the West". Like the English translation, this is [[spoiler:the report given by the papers and military on the day the protagonist dies]], but it also refers to the [[HistoryRepeats constant cycle]] and [[WarIsHell futile nature]] of war.
* Every book in the ''Literature/ArkadyRenko'' series of mystery novels, written by Creator/MartinCruzSmith, beginning with ''Literature/GorkyPark'', have titles that first clearly reference one thing, then towards the climax of the book are revealed to refer to something much more important. Titles include ''Gorky Park'', ''Polar Star'', ''Red Square'', ''Havana Bay'', and ''Wolves Eat Dogs''.
* Creator/IsaacAsimov's "Literature/TheWateryPlace": The aliens in this story said "the [[VenusIsWet watery place]]", meaning {{UsefulNotes/Venus}}. Unfortunately, the Sheriff thinks the [[HumanAliens aliens are from Italy]], so when they said "the [[CityOfCanals watery place]]", he thought they meant {{UsefulNotes/Venice}}. The title can refer to either one, and the whole plot was [[{{Feghoot}} a joke at the similarity in sound/description between Venus and Venice]].
* The ''Literature/AToZMysteries'' book ''The Orange Outlaw'' has the meanings "the outlaw that has orange hair" and "the outlaw who stole oranges". The outlaw is a trained monkey who steals a painting and leaves a big mess of orange peels because of its enormous appetite.
** Earlier in the series was "The Bald Bandit". This can refer either to Lucky O'Leary, who filmed a bank robbery and later shaved his head so the robber wouldn't recognize him,or the robber himself, who is naturally bald [[spoiler: and wore a wig and fake mustache as part of his disguise as a private detective.]]
* ''Literature/TheBaroqueCycle'':
** ''The Baroque Cycle'' as a whole is not only set in the Baroque era but also exceedingly complex.
** The first book is called ''Quicksilver''. Two of the recurring topics of the series are the element mercury (i.e., quicksilver) in chemistry and alchemy, and the birth of the modern economic system in which money (i.e., silver) can flow ''quickly'' from place to place.
** ''The Confusion'' is not only about the confusion of metals (in the alchemical sense) and the confusion of messages (in the cryptography sense), or even a certain amount of confusion in the modern "what's going on?" sense, but the Author's Note explains that the book's structure (alternate chapters of [[TwoLinesNoWaiting parallel narratives]]) is an alchemical confusion as well.
* In Creator/RobertAHeinlein's ''Literature/BetweenPlanets'', a portion of the story takes place on an interplanetary space ship traveling from Earth to Venus, that is "Between Planets". However, the protagonist was born in space when his parents were on a previous voyage from Earth to Mars leaving him to consider himself a citizen of the Solar System. With the Earth/Venus conflict, he wanted to remain neutral because he was "Between Planets" and had been on his way back to Mars when the Venusian Rebels seized the space station that was the transfer point to interplanetary craft.
* Creator/StephenKing's ''The Body'' was published in ''Literature/DifferentSeasons'', which is a collection of four novellas, each themed after one of the four seasons and with a different [[EitherOrTitle subtitle]] based on that season. ''The Body'''s subtitle is ''Fall from Innocence'', referring to "fall" as in a huge decline, but also as in the season, autumn.
* ''Literature/TheBridgeOfClay'': as the [[Creator/MarkusZusak author]] himself writes in the foreword, "clay" is both a type of soil and the name of one of the characters, Clay (short for Clayton).
* The ''Literature/BrotherCadfael'' novel ''The Rose Rent''; a widow donates her property to the Abbey at Shrewsbury, in return for a single white rose to be delivered to her once every year as rent for the property. Later, Niall, a bronze-smith sent to deliver the rose, is found dead, and the white rose bush is rent - that is, hacked at its bole.
* ''Literature/TheCampHalfBloodSeries'': In ''[[Literature/TheHeroesOfOlympus The Lost Hero]]'', Percy has gone missing and since he was TheHero of the last series, it seems like the title might apply to him. By the end of the book, the same can be said for [[spoiler:Jason]].
* Creator/OrsonScottCard's ''Literature/ChildrenOfTheMind''. Ender joins the Catholic religious order known as the Filhos da Mente de Cristo in Portuguese -- in English, it's the Children of the Mind of Christ. But two of the other main characters in that book, Peter and Val Wiggin, [[ItMakesSenseInContext were accidentally created from Ender's memories when he went outside the universe]] -- they're the Children of the Mind of Ender.
* The sixth (and at the time final) book of ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfAncientDarkness'' is titled ''Ghost Hunter'', referring both to Torak searching for the ghostlike [[EvilSorcerer Eostra]] (as the first six titles all refer to roles he takes) and to Eostra herself, who [[{{Necromancer}} can raise the dead]]. A ''third'' meaning is name-dropped in the text by Krukoslik, who refers to Wolf (and wolves in general) as ghost hunters due to how silently they track their prey.
* ''[[Webcomic/CiemWebcomicSeries Ciem: Vigilante Centipede]]'' has a planned sequel dubbed ''Nuclear Crisis'', which both refers to Capp Aard stealing a [[GreenRocks radioactive blue rock]] called the Ming-Yo [[YellowPeril from China]]; and to Candi's struggles with keeping her growing family safe. Especially since she's [[WeaksauceWeakness pregnant]] and [[WorfHadTheFlu has the flu]], [[DeusExitMachina her new husband has cancer]], her sister [[BigScrewedUpFamily is pregnant and engaged to a treasure hunter]], and her sister is on the run from spies and a GovernmentConspiracy. And she [[TemptingFate plans to adopt a 3-year-old]].
* In the poem "The Collar" by George Herbert, the title can be taken to refer to either a priest's collar or a slave's collar. Since the text poem consists of someone crying out (i.e., they're a caller) in anger (i.e., choler), it's also a PunBasedTitle.
* ''Literature/CrazyRichAsians'' uses some AmbiguousSyntax to create the double meaning of either "Asians who are ''extremely'' wealthy" or "wealthy Asians who act bizarrely". Both definitions are applicable to the story.
* ''Literature/DaveBarrySleptHere'' has "Chapter Eleven: The Nation Enters [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chapter_11,_Title_11,_United_States_Code Chapter Eleven]]".
* ''Literature/DiaryOfAWimpyKid: Dog Days'': The subtitle refers to the summer setting, but also the Heffley's adopting a dog.
* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'':
** The title of ''Literature/SoulMusic'' refers to both the actual genre of music and the fact that, in the book, the music literally gets into people's souls.
** ''Literature/TheFifthElephant'' refers to an old legend about a fifth elephant that used to support the Disc, but which slipped off and crashed down on the flat world in the distant past. It's also an {{Uberwald}}ian expression (derived from said myth) that can variously mean "that which does not exist," "that which is not what it seems," and "that which while unseen controls events." ''All'' of these interpretations come into play over the course of the novel. In addition, it's a pun on quintessence, the "fifth element."
** ''Literature/MonstrousRegiment'' refers both to the 'monstrous' nature of the regiment to which the main character belongs (which includes a vampire, a troll, and an [[TheIgor Igor]]) and [[SpoilerTitle the main twist]], though only to those who've read the rather obscure political work ''The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment [[spoiler: of Women]]''
** The title of ''Literature/{{Thud}}'' refers to both the VariantChess played in the series and the opening line--onomatopoeia for being hit by a club. Both are important plot points and the opposite of each other, representing the violent and peaceful solutions for the FantasticRacism between dwarves and trolls.
** ''Literature/GoingPostal'' refers both to going insane and delivering mail.
** ''Literature/MakingMoney'' refers to producing currency and to getting rich.
** ''Literature/{{Snuff}}'' refers to murder and tobacco.
** ''Literature/WyrdSisters'' is most obviously a reference to the three witches from Theatre/{{Macbeth}}, which highlights the many Shakesperian allusions in the story and the main characters. While 'wyrd' is an old fashioned spelling of 'weird', it can also be pronounced as 'word': the main theme of the book is the power of words and stories.
* ''Franchise/DoctorWhoExpandedUniverse'':
** The title of the ''Literature/DoctorWhoNewAdventures''/''Literature/SherlockHolmes'' crossover ''The All-Consuming Fire'' is [[DirectLineToTheAuthor chosen by Watson]] quite early in the book as a reference to a horrific case of SpontaneousHumanCombustion. However, much later there's ''another'' TitleDrop, when the villain refers to his army as an all-consuming fire, sweeping across the planet.
** In-universe example: AdventurerArchaeologist and HardDrinkingPartyGirl Professor Franchise/BerniceSummerfield's memoirs are entitled ''Down Among the Dead Men''. While this ''could'' describe excavating a tomb, the song the phrase comes from is ''actually'' referring to lying under the table, surrounded by empty bottles.
* ''Literature/TheDrawingOfTheDark'' sounds like a story about dark forces drawing near--and it is--but mainly, the title refers to drawing a tankard of dark beer. Magical dark beer. Beer that will restore the FisherKing and save the West.
* Most of the titles endemic in ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles''. The only exceptions are ''Literature/{{Changes}}'', which is ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin, and ''Literature/DeathMasks'', where the title doesn't have much to do with the story (it was originally going to be called ''Holy Sheet'', which does follow the pattern). For instance:
** ''Literature/GravePeril'' features Harry in... well, grave peril, mostly due to [[TheUndead vampires and ghosts]][[note]]DontExplainTheJoke Grave, get it?[[/note]].
** ''Literature/SummerKnight'' begins with the murder of the Summer Knight, happens on summer nights, and [[Theatre/AMidsummerNightsDream is about fairies]].
** ''Literature/DeadBeat'' in particular is a triple-loaded title: a deadbeat, as in a poor guy, dead beat, as in very tired, a dead beat, as in a cop's beat that is either slow or deadly, and a dead beat, as in [[spoiler:the rhythm that the dead move to]].
* ''Literature/TheEagleTree'': "Holy Trinity" refers to three things: the theological concept, which is the subject of a sermon at March's church; the three components of lichen; and [[spoiler:the new genus of lichen that March discovers and gets to name]].
* Ian [=McEwan=]'s ''Enduring Love'' could just mean a love that lasts (most people just assume this is the meaning), but it has a second meaning: tolerating love or putting up with love.
* The Ming-period Chinese classic ''Literature/FengshenYanyi'', usually translated as the "Investiture of the Gods", has one in the title word "Fenghshen": the fantastic side of the story has the hero, Jiang Ziya, being tasked by the head honcho of Chan Taoism Yuanshi Tianzun with finding and promoting 365 notable immortals and heroes to deities. In order to do so, he builds a massive altar structure where the souls of said notable people are gathered, waiting for their promotion to deities. Fengshen can either be read as "Sealing Spirits" (as in, souls) and as "Bestowing Divinity", the final purpose of Jiang Ziya's task.
* Michael Chabon came up with a particularly dark one when he wrote a novella about an 80-something Literature/SherlockHolmes helping a young boy. It was effectively a spiritual successor to Doyle's story ''The Final Problem'', with the added detail that the boy was a Jewish Holocaust escapee. The title: ''Literature/TheFinalSolution''.
* James Joyce deliberately did not put an apostrophe in the title of ''Literature/FinnegansWake'' to create a double meaning. It can be read in (at least) two different ways, either it is the wake of Finnegan or multiple Finnegans wake up.
* ''Literature/GauntsGhosts'': In addition to both the name of the first novel and regiment name, Tanith First and Only, [[spoiler: it also referrers to Ibhram Gaunt is the first and only son to his father.]]
* The original Norwegian title of Alexander Kielland's ''Gift'' can be translated into either "poison" or "married". The former refers to how the students are "poisoned" by rote learning of topics unrelated to real life and societal norms. The latter is less important, but one character is stuck in a marriage and in love with another man.
* ''Literature/GoneGirl''. The character of Amy has disappeared and is presumed to be dead. Also, [[spoiler: as far as her mental state is concerned, she's ''completely'' '''gone'''.]]
* ''Literature/HaltingState'': A "halting state" is the condition of a computer that has reached the end of its programming and will do nothing until it gets further instructions (or that it's stuck on the same spot). Appropriate for a novel about the software-saturated world, but it also refers to [[spoiler: bringing a nation state to a standstill.]]
* HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows: PlayedWith. ''Deathly Hallows'' is translated as "The Relics of Death" in many languages, which turns the title into this trope. A reader would initially think said relics are Voldemort's Horcruxes (which allow him to cheat death) especially since some of them are very culturally-valued relics in the wizarding world -- such as those that belonged to Hogwarts' Founders. It doesn't help that the most common interpretation of the adverb "deathly" is that of "lethal", something that the Horcruxes are in spades because of the traps that surround them and/or their possession and TheCorrupter potential. However, it's later revealed this installment is a case of a MacGuffinTitle, because the Deathly Hallows do exist and have very little to do with Horcruxes.
* The title ''Literature/HighFidelity'' refers both to record albums (it's what "hi-fi" is short for, if you didn't know) and to commitment in romantic relationships.
* ''Literature/HollowKingdom2019'': "Hollow Kingdom" refers both to the world that the Hollows (humans) built and how hollow said world feels in the wake of their inhabitants getting zombified.
* Creator/IsaacAsimov's "{{Literature/Hostess}}": The title refers to Dr Rose Smollett, whose third-person perspective forms the basis of this story. The word "host" (or the feminine form, "hostess") refers to someone who is responsible for supplying hospitality to a visitor, or to an organism in which a parasite or commensal organism lives. She is currently hosting Dr Tholan, and all humans are host to a race of [[MindVirus parasitic]] creatures [[EnergyBeings with no physical form]].
* Creator/PeterDavison's autobiography ''Is There Life Outside the Box?'' The title clearly refers to having a life outside his television career, but is "the box" the TV or [[Series/DoctorWho the TARDIS]]?
* ''Literature/LongForThisWorld'' refers both to {{Immortality}} and the desire for it.
* All three books of Creator/RichardKMorgan's ''Literature/ALandFitForHeroes'' trilogy. ''The Steel Remains'', ''The Cold Commands'' and ''The Dark Defiles'' can be interpreted as adjective plus noun ("the remains made out of steel") or noun plus verb ("the steel that remains"). And in all three cases both interpretations make sense within the context of the book.
* ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' refers both to Sauron, that heavy and evil menace always present in the background and the hero's mind throughout all the Book, but also to the hypothetical Master of the One Ring. "The Lord of the Rings" is an idea of what you could become if you can master it, and it is the temptation that the hero must resist if he is to conquer. In that sense it can represent Frodo or Gandalf or Aragorn or Saruman or Boromir or Galadriel or Sam or anyone really.
** It can also refer to [[ArtifactOfDoom The One Ring]] itself, forged to be the master of all the other rings.
** The title of the second part, ''The Two Towers'', can refer to the unholy alliance between Orthanc and Barad-dûr (this meaning was used for a TitleDrop in the film); the opposition of the White Tower of Minas Tirith and The Dark Tower of Barad-dûr; or the fact that the plot of each half builds to a climax at Orthanc and the Tower of Cirith Ungol (or arguably Minas Morgul) respectively.
* In ''Louise Loves Art'', a childrens' picture book by Kelly Light, the protagonist is is a budding illustrator named Louise who loves two things: drawing, and her little brother Art.
* The second of Creator/MarkGatiss' ''Lucifer Box'' novels is called ''The Devil in Amber''. The most obvious reference is to the rising fascist leader who dresses himself and his army in amber shirts, but once his EvilPlan is revealed, it becomes a reference to [[spoiler:a literal devil [[SealedEvilInACan sealed away]] (i.e. preserved "in amber", like the mosquito in ''Film/JurassicPark'') until its summoning rite is performed.]]
* ''Literature/TheManWhoFellToEarth'' refers to both the AlienAmongUs hero's physical arrival on Earth and his metaphorical falling to the vices and treacheries of humanity.
* ''Literature/MarketOfMonsters'': The trilogy centers around the illicit black market trade of "unnatural" humans and their body parts. It's a market that sells "monsters," but since HumansAreTheRealMonsters, it's more accurately a market run by and belonging to monsters.
* ''Literature/{{Middlesex}}'' refers not only to Cal's intersex condition, but also to the street where she spent her late childhood and adolescence.
* ''Literature/{{Misery}}'' refers to the main character of Paul Sheldon's flagship cheesy romance novel series, [[MetafictionalTitle Misery Chastain]], and the misery he faces when he is injured in a car crash and taken under the care of LoonyFan Annie Wilkes, who finds out that he plans to kill Misery off in his next book and decides to pull a SavedByTheFans... with painful consequences for Paul if he at any point refuses to go along.
* In Creator/HalClement's novel ''Literature/MissionOfGravity'', a probe was landed on an a massive planet, to ''study'' gravity. When the probe's launch failed, recovering the data becomes a mission of ''importance''.
* ''Literature/{{Newshound}}'' is one of these, since the word is a slang term for a journalist, as well as a literal pun on the main character, Heather Stone, who is a werewolf journalist.
* ''Literature/{{Noob}}'':
** The title of the first chapter of the third novel can be loosely translated from the original French as "Facing Chaos alone". It gets a TitleDrop as the title of an old article about Fantöm's victory against the Source of Chaos, but is also quite appropriate for the reason for which that chapter is a DownerBeginning.
** A chapter from the fourth novel is titled "Double jeu", which can mean both DoublePlay and PlayingBothSides. Given it focuses on a player that has two active avatars in different factions, both interpretations are appropriate.
* Julie Orringer's short story "Pilgrims" takes place on Thanksgiving Day, and it involves an awkward Thanksgiving dinner that's likened to a feast between "Pilgrims and Indians". Said dinner also happens to take place on a New Age commune for cancer patients, where the adults in attendance are literal pilgrims (that is, people on a religious journey of healing and self-discovery).
* Not ''Franchise/StarTrek'', but ''Star Trek''-related: A book of poetry and prose written by an Assistant Director while working on Star Trek Voyager and Enterprise is named ''[[http://www.michaeldemeritt.com/ Poetry and Prose from the Director's Ass]]''. Given a lot of the jobs an Assistant Director does, the title is fitting...
* The novel (and musical) ''Literature/{{Ragtime}}'' by E. L. Doctorow takes place during the heyday of ragtime music, and one of the lead characters is a ragtime performer; but the title also refers to the persistent poverty among the underprivileged classes of that era--it was "rag time".
* Ian Rankin has a lot of these. The ''Literature/{{Rebus}}'' novel ''Fleshmarket Close'', for instance, starts out in the Edinburgh street of the same name (so called because it used to be a butcher's market), but goes on to be about two different "fleshmarkets"; prostitution and trade in illegal immigrants.
* ''The Secret Barrister'', by the anonymous legal blogger of that pseudonym, has the subtitle ''Stories of the Law and How It's Broken''. While the stories to feature people breaking the law, the main point of the book is questioning whether the legal system is fit for purpose; the law itself ''is broken''.
* ''Literature/TheSorcererOfTheWildeeps'': "Sorcerer" is not just Demane's nickname among the brothers, the jukiere haunting the Wildeeps is also a kind of animalistic, necromantic sorcerer in the form of a tiger. Additionally, in the end of the book [[spoiler:Demane has to remain in the Wildeeps until he manages to kill the ''other'' jukiere within the jungle as well, effectively making him the Sorcerer of the Wildeeps]].
* ''Franchise/StarTrekExpandedUniverse'':
** The Diane Duane TOS novel ''Literature/DoctorsOrders'', in which Dr. [=McCoy=] is left in command of the ''Enterprise'', the double meaning being that [=McCoy=] is a doctor and in command (thus giving orders), and the phrase "doctor's orders" which describes a doctor's instructions to his patients.
** ''Literature/StarTrekNovelverse'':
*** The ''Literature/StarTrekMirrorUniverse'' short story "Empathy", featuring the MirrorUniverse versions of the ''[[Literature/StarTrekTitan Titan]]'' crew. The title refers to the gestalt between the lifeforms of Lru-Irr, which the Alliance wants to exploit. It also refers to Ian Troi and Tuvok's determination to save the Irriol from the Alliance, as well as Bajoran scientist Jaza Najem's own increasing empathy for the Irriol, combined with the love he shares with Terran slave Christine Vale. Perhaps more of a stretch, one of Troi's crew, the sociopathic William Riker, notably ''lacks'' any sort of empathy, possibly because he never met his captain's daughter.
*** The ''Literature/StarTrekTitan'' novel ''Orion's Hounds''. Orion refers both to the constellation of the hunter, and to the galaxy's Orion arm. The Pa'haquel race, who hunt spacefaring lifeforms across the Orion Arm, are the eponymous hounds in two senses.
*** The ''Literature/StarTrekTyphonPact'' novel ''Zero Sum Game'' refers not only to the obvious meaning but also to a cold war scenario and to the Breen civilization, who are famed for liking the cold. The novel revolves around a cat-and-mouse game between Starfleet and the Breen while Breen scientists try to reverse-engineer stolen Federation technology.
*** The ''Literature/StarTrekDepartmentOfTemporalInvestigations'' novel ''Watching the Clock'' refers both to the DTI's role in protecting and monitoring the timeline, and to the mundane nature of its agents, who are most certainly not Starfleet-style adventurers. The DTI know that if they're having an adventure, they've already screwed up, and it's going to pay hell with the paperwork. No, they're 9-to-5 government employees, and like to keep things as unchaotic and, ideally, dull, as possible.
* ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'':
** Creator/TimothyZahn likes these.
*** ''Literature/TheThrawnTrilogy'': ''Heir to the Empire'' could refer to the New Republic which has risen as the Empire fell or to Grand Admiral Thrawn, who has returned from a long absence to take up the Empire's remains. Or to C'baoth. ''Dark Force Rising'' may be the ''[[KatanasAreJustBetter Katana]]'' fleet, the Dark Side of the Force, or Thrawn's Empire. ''The Last Command'' might be Palpatine's final command to his Hand, or another reference to Thrawn.
*** ''Literature/HandOfThrawn'' duology: "Hand of Thrawn" itself could be the influence he has even after his death, the dissidents [[DeadPersonImpersonation impersonating]] him, and the various things related to that fortress on Niruan. ''Specter of the Past'' is, obviously, referring to Thrawn, but also to the pasts of the other characters that affect them still, and on a meta note, Zahn's unhappiness about what other authors did to his characters. ''Vision of the Future'' is more straightforward, but you could make a case for it being Luke's vision, the things the Empire of the Hand are preparing for, and the future of the Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse itself.
*** "[[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Mist_Encounter Mist Encounter]]" can be seen as the meeting of the exiled Thrawn and Imperial forces on the misty world of his exile, or the pun "Missed encounter" -- the Imperial forces are there to chase [[Literature/XWingSeries Booster Terrick]], who took cover and were ignored for the events transpiring around him. "[[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Command_Decision Command Decision]]" can be the decision made by the ranking officer -- Thrawn -- or the decision his subordinates, not understanding his [[MilitaryMaverick rather unorthodox and possibly traitorous orders]], come to regarding whether he is fit for command. "[[http://star-wars.suvudu.com/2011/02/star-wars-tim-zahn-judges-call-short-story.html Judge's Call]]" can be about how Luke clearly felt called to arbitrate, or about how he called for that private time with his wife.
** Just in general, a number of ''Legends'' books have titles like this.
*** ''[[Literature/XWingSeries Rogue Squadron]]'' refers to both the name of the New Republic's best starfighter squadron and their [[MildlyMilitary unpredictable, not-by-the-book]] attitude. ''Wedge's Gamble'' encompasses the missions that Wedge and the Rogues head off on and the absolute, unwavering trust he has for possible ManchurianAgent Tycho Celchu. ''The Krytos Trap''? That's the two ways that the Krytos plague "traps" the New Republic; killing non-humans and being part of a ploy to turn them against the human members. ''Solo Command'' is the taskforce under the command of General Solo and Wraith Squadron coming under the command of Face Loran.
*** In the Coruscant Nights Trilogy, one book is ''Patterns of Force''. In that title, Force means what it usually means in ''Star Wars'' as well as what it means everywhere else.
*** A storm does approach in ''The Approaching Storm'', which also refers to the enemies who attack and, conceivably, the slight ''wrongness'' of Anakin Skywalker.
* ''Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! Adventures of a Curious Character'' -- UsefulNotes/RichardFeynman was a curious character in two senses of the term -- a rather strange character, who was curious about everything.
* ''Literature/ATasteOfHoney'': Honey, being a sticky liquid, is often associated with eroticism, with 'a taste of honey' implying a short, sweet moment of pleasure, just as the short time Aqib and Lucrio can share their love in the story. A taste of honey in the literal sense is also what the Sybil demands of Aqib in the end as payment for her service. [[spoiler:He has to smear his hand in honey and let her gnaw it off. The hand, not just the honey.]]
* ''Thin Air'' by Creator/RichardKMorgan. As in "vanish into thin air" and "low air pressure at great heights".
* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'': Creator/DanAbnett's Literature/GauntsGhosts novel ''His Last Command'' has multiple {{Title Drop}}s to both meanings: "the last unit he commanded" and "the last order he gave."
* ''Literature/WarAndPeace'': Its title in the original Russian is ''Voyna i mir''. 'Mir' means peace, but also 'the world' so the possible translation is ''War and the World''.
* ''Literature/WaysideSchool Gets a Little Stranger'', true to its name, is definitely the weirdest of the three books, but the title also refers to [[spoiler:the baby girl Mrs. Jewls gives birth to at the end of the book, the eponymous "little stranger"]].
* ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'': ''[[http://whateleyacademy.net/index.php/9-original-canon/131-catgirl-madness Catgirl Madness]]'': The events, "madness", about a catgirl? And also the (false) diagnosis of schizophrenia that catgirl gets.
* ''Literature/WindAndShadow'' refers to the main female character, Wind Haworth, and the main antagonist, who is a Shadow[[note]]a being MadeOfEvil[[/note]], as well as to the book's thematic elements: the ability of people to heal or to harm (wind, which can be beneficial or devastating) and spiritual darkness and temptation (shadow).
* The ''Literature/WingsOfFire'' book series has this in book 3, ''The Hidden Kingdom'', which both can refer to the [[HiddenElfVillage kingdom of the [=RainWings=]]], hidden in the rainforest, and the secret home of the [=NightWings=], a volcanic island that nobody but the [=NightWings=] themselves knows about. Book 4, ''The Dark Secret'', also has this, as it details the [=NightWings'=] plans to invade the rainforest and wipe out the [=RainWings=], while also revealing that [[spoiler:the prophecy that's been the driving force behind the narrative isn't even real.]]
* ''Literature/WyldersHand'' has a triple meaning: It could refer to Mark Wylder's hand in marriage, his handwriting, or the body part. All three are relevant to the plot at some point.
* ''Literature/TheYiddishPolicemensUnion'': The actual Yiddish Policemen's Union (i.e. the police union whose card Landsman carries) is largely irrelevant to the plot of the book, which is at least partially about the union (or more accurately ''reunion'') between Landsman and his ex-wife, both Yiddish police officers.
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