On Frege's view, reference follows from sense but they are not one and the same. From sense we can go to the reference but not inversely. The knowledge of the sense of a proposition contains in the 'mode of presentation' on the basis of which we refer to something. It thus defines the 'mode of applicability' of the expression. Since every sentence possesses sense and it refers to the object, from this, we can get the truth-value of the sentences.

Frege states that natural language is not a well-defined and perfect. This is exhibited in the structure of its sentences. For example, the sentence, "The general will of people in a village is not same". In this sentence, how do we refer to the 'general will of people' and what to refer when we say that the general will of people is not same? In this way ambiguity arises in natural language. In order to overcome the problem relating to reference failure, Frege suggests that we need a formal and a logically perfect language which he calls Begriffsschrift. In a formal and a logically perfect language, we find that a proposition necessarily has both sense and reference. As a result, all the propositions can be treated as either true or false.

Further, Frege explains that we cannot omit the natural language abruptly because it covers the widest as well as the largest part of language. The only task to be profound is that we need to analyze it. Analysis of ordinary language can alone remove its defects. Hence, we will find the logically perfect language where each proposition can be judged as either true or false.

From the above analysis, it is observed that Frege's theory on meaning is an atomistic theory. It is so, because for him, every sentence has sense, and from sense we go to reference. Sense of a sentence is nothing but the thought of that sentence. Since every sentence has a thought, it states something about the world. Hence, we get the reference of the sentence. Reference of a sentence is same as the truth-value of that sentence. It is so because the sense of a sentence refers to the object of the world. As a result, the sentence will be confirmed that under which circumstances it will be treated as true or false. Thus, every sentence can be judged as either true or false.