Pole among a number returning home (4)
I believe the answer is:
nest
'home' is the definition.
(a bird's home)
'pole among a number returning' is the wordplay.
'pole' becomes 's' (abbreviation for South, as in South Pole).
'among' means one lot of letters goes inside another (inserted letters are placed among others).
'a number' becomes 'ten' (ten is a number).
'returning' says the letters should be written backwards.
's' going into 'ten' is 'tsen'.
'tsen' reversed gives 'NEST'.
(Other definitions for nest that I've seen before include "secluded place" , "Sent to bird's home" , "Eyrie" , "Accommodation for hobby, say" , "Place of retreat" .)