Yes they can. The noise is called "axle ping".
Many will take a stab at simply retightening them.
Keep in mind that these two axle bolts (one on each side) are "stretch" bolts. They're tightened to a torque spec then an additional number of degrees.
This stretches them but embrittles them for subsequent use. In other words, they can break while you're attempting to reuse them.
On another note: You may want to assess the cleanliness of your transmission fluid. It's amazing how many softer clunks (from within the transmission) vanish when fluid is refreshed.
On yet another note: Carefully examine your engine mounts. A bad one can clunk going D to R or R to D.
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