Funny fellows holding note for payment (5)
I believe the answer is:
wages
'payment' is the definition.
(thesaurus)
'funny fellows holding note' is the wordplay.
'funny fellows' becomes 'wags' (I've seen this in another clue).
'holding' is an insertion indicator.
'note' becomes 'e' (musical note).
'wags' going around 'e' is 'WAGES'.
'for' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for wages that I've seen before include "Salaries" , "Earnings for work - or of sin" , "Salary" , "Work pay" , "Carries on" .)