Distances to targets (2a, 2b) are simultaneously determined in a method for measuring distance according to the phase measuring principle with a time discrete emission of periodic signals (7) and a sampling of received signals for generating and optionally storing sampled values, whereby the signals have signal portions that are reflected by the targets (2a, 2b) and superimposed. A statistical parameter estimation problem based on a mathematical signal model is solved in such a manner that the number of the targets (2a, 2b) for more than one target (2a, 2b) is preset or fundamentally, the number of targets is determined by the method, and the inequalities D- ≤ Dk