What does the cryptic crossword clue "Eat, tongue in cheek by the sound of it? (6)" mean?

The definition is "Eat,". The wordplay uses a homophone (sounds like). Sounds like ‘in jest’ [tongue in cheek] The answer is INGEST.

Eat, tongue in cheek by the sound of it? (6)

Guardian Cryptic #28134 | 21 Down | 2020-05-15 flower