How do I solve 20 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31260?

Question

Accepted Answer

20 down reads "Picked up white bucket" (4 letters); the answer is PAIL. It's a homophone clue: the answer sounds like another word. Indicators like 'reportedly', 'we hear', or 'sounds like' point to a word that's pronounced similarly to the answer. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

Picked up white bucket (4)

20D — Picked up white bucket (4) — PAIL