B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 203; Flight Crew Type 5000
Communication Breakdown
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation - Altitude Overshoot; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance
Human Factors; Procedure
We were cleared to descend via the BAYYY2 RNAV STAR; then they turned the airport around from landing on 12R to now landing 30L and we were given a different STAR to fly. Moments later; before we could even finish programming this change; they changed our STAR again; this time to the PUCKS 2RNAV STAR with the clearance of descend via (meaning 6000 feet MSL). Now we were way high and fast and trying to get down to comply. These multiple changes in our clearances and turning the airport around led to more reprogramming and more briefings. At approximately 9000 feet; the Controller asked us; 'What altitude are you descending to?' I replied; 'We are descending via the PUCKS2; down to 6000 feet as we were cleared.' She replied; 'No...I believe I cleared you to only descend to 11;000 feet.' So I told her; 'If you did; we never heard that and certainly did not reply to that radio call.' As you can imagine there was a lot going on with attempting to update the ATIS to determine what was happening at HOU; updating ATIS; reprogramming the FMC twice; and new briefings; but we (the two pilots) both looked at each other and said; we never heard that. Then the Controller said; 'Just descend to 6000''; so we did.In my general aviation flying; my military flying; and other airline flying; we were always taught whenever you hear a Controller speak; all briefings and talking stops and listen. That is not our policy and it should be. Also; a Controller knows when they tell a Crew something; if the Crew does not respond back acknowledging this clearance; they did not hear it (regardless why they didn't hear it) and therefore they will not be complying. We can't comply with what we didn't hear.
B737 First Officer reported overshooting an altitude clearance they never acknowledged in descent following multiple STAR clearance changes.