Final answer:
Method overloading distinguishes between methods based on their parameter types or number of parameters in a class.
Step-by-step explanation:
Method overloading allows you to differentiate between methods according to the kind of parameters they take or how many there are in a class. It permits the coexistence of several methods with the same name but distinct parameter lists.
For example, in Java, you can have two methods named 'calculateArea' in a class, where one takes the radius of a circle as a parameter and the other takes the length and width of a rectangle as parameters. The compiler determines which method to call based on the arguments passed.