What does the cryptic crossword clue "Pitiable soul told gag (5)" mean?

The definition is "gag". The wordplay uses a homophone (sounds like). A homophone (‘told’) of WRETCH (pitiable soul) The answer is RETCH.

Pitiable soul told gag (5)

Independent Cryptic #11880 | 26 Across | 2024-11-06 flower