The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word GOURD
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
G
O
U
R
D
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "fruit" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case fruit = gourd.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does GOURD mean?
GOURD noun- Any of the trailing or climbing vines producing fruit with a hard rind or shell, from the genera Lagenaria and Cucurbita (in Cucurbitaceae).
- A hard-shelled fruit from a plant in Lagenaria or Cucurbita.
- The dried and hardened shell of such fruit, made into a drinking vessel, bowl, spoon, or other objects designed for use or decoration.
- Any of the climbing or trailing plants from the family Cucurbitaceae, which includes watermelon, pumpkins, and cucumbers.
- Loaded dice.
- Head.