The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word SORES
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
S
O
R
E
S
Buddy explains!
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 SORES mean?
SORES noun- An injured, infected, inflamed or diseased patch of skin.
- Grief; affliction; trouble; difficulty.
- A group of ducks on land.
- A young hawk or falcon in its first year.
- A young buck in its fourth year.