What does the cryptic crossword clue "Hearing vital flame is faint (4,4)" mean?

The definition is "faint". The wordplay uses a homophone (sounds like). Sounds like (‘hearing’) KEY LOVER (‘vital flame’). The answer is KEELOVER.

Hearing vital flame is faint (4,4)

Guardian Cryptic #29596 | 18 Down | 2025-01-20 flower