In accordance with an embodiment, the application discloses a communication method that includes the operations: generating downlink control information DCI; and sending the DCI to a terminal device. The DCI includes indication information used to indicate a single codeword scheduled by using the DCI, or a correspondence between a single codeword scheduled by using the DCI and a first resource. Alternatively, the DCI includes a first number of a hybrid automatic repeat request HARQ process corresponding to a single codeword scheduled by using the DCI, where a quantity of values of the first number is greater than a quantity of values of a second number of an HARQ process used by either one codeword of DCI used to schedule two codewords. In embodiments of the application, a utilization rate of an HARQ buffer can be improved.