Crossword Genius

Freeloader given shelter by companion (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

leech

'freeloader' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

'shelter by companion' is the wordplay.
'shelter' becomes 'lee' (I've seen this before**).
'by' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'companion' becomes 'ch' (I've seen this in other clues).
'lee'+'ch'='LEECH'

'given' acts as a link.

(Other definitions for leech that I've seen before include "Worm - sponger" , "Old doctor" , "Freeloader" , "scrounger" , "Old medicinal sucker" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.