clown vs joke

clown and joke both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
clown	Yes	No	Yes	No
joke	Yes	No	Yes	No

As verbs, joke is a hypernym of clown; that is, joke is a word with a broader meaning than clown:

Other hypernyms of clown include jest.

clown (noun)	joke (noun)
a person who amuses others by ridiculous behavior	a ludicrous or grotesque act done for fun and amusement
a rude or vulgar fool	activity characterized by good humor
	a triviality not to be taken seriously
	a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter

clown (verb)	joke (verb)
act as or like a clown	act in a funny or teasing way
	tell a joke; speak humorously