I love this because it doesn't only apply to improper terms. To me, a variation of this idea also applies to literature where there is a surface meaning and a double meaning. For example, the book Frankenstein is a creation story which can be seen as a stand-alone tale, or a it can have a second, richer meaning by comparing it to another creation work such as Paradise Lost. In fact, the monster in Frankenstein read Paradise Lost after he escaped from Dr. Frankenstein.

Double entendre in French is one of several ways to express the thought - double meaning. I think it's a straight across usage.