CREW ON PAX TWIN JET INBOUND TO CVG BELIEVED A CLRNC WAS ISSUED TO THEM TO DSND FROM 10000 FT TO 8000 FT. THE APCH CTLR SAW THE DSCNT AND INSTRUCTED THE FLT BACK TO 10000 FT.

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APCHING CVG FOR LNDG; WE WERE AT CRUISE ALT OF 10000 FT. APCH CTL VERY BUSY WITH NUMEROUS ACFT AND OUR FLT HAD ALREADY RECEIVED SEVERAL SEQUENCING VECTORS AND AT LEAST ONE FREQ CHANGE. BUSY CTLR CLRED OUR FLT TO DSCNT TO 8000 FT AND TURN L TO HDG 320 DEGS. AFTER SLOWING TO 250 KIAS AND AFTER COMPLETING ASSIGNED TURN; WE BEGAN DSCNT TO 8000 FT. COPLT HAD READ BACK ENTIRE CLRNC BUT HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY CONFIRMATION FROM ATC. COPLT AND I BOTH HEARD AND AGREED THAT CLRNC WAS FOR OUR FLT. AS WE DSNDED THROUGH 9200 FT; CTLR QUERIED OUR ALT. OUR RESPONSE WAS 'DSNDING THROUGH 9200 FT FOR 8000 FT.' CTLR THEN CLRED OUR FLT TO 'CLB TO 10000 FT; MAINTAIN 10000 FT.' SOON AFTER LEVELING BACK AT 10000 FT; WE RECEIVED AN EXPLANATION FROM THE CTLR THAT OUR CLRNC HAD BEEN FOR ANOTHER FLT. CTLR THEN VERIFIED WITH ANOTHER COMPANY ACFT THAT THEY WERE DSNDING TO 8000 FT. THAT FLT STATED THAT THEY WERE LEVEL AT 8000 FT. THIS OTHER FLT'S 'NUMBER' WAS IN NO WAY SIMILAR TO OUR OWN. UNEVENTFUL ARR AT CVG EVENTUALLY ENSUED.