WHAT'S THE GOOD WORD?
Credit: GAMES Magazine
December, 1992
Rudolph Bernstein

In each line below, all three words can be preceded by the same new word to produce three compound words or common two-word phrases. For example, if you were given the words BULB, HOUSE, and YEAR, you could add LIGHT to get LIGHT BULB, LIGHTHOUSE, and  LIGHT-YEAR. The three answers in each set (1, 2, and 3) can themselves be preceded by a single word to produce another set of three answers. And these three answers, each preceded by one more word, will lead to the final one-word solution of the puzzle.

1. a. House, play, steering
    b. Horn, shine, tree
    c. Log, stage, stroke

2. a. Diver, flint, tight
    b. Fairy, paste, pick
    c. Lash, shadow, witness

3. a. Charge, girl, story
    b. Cake, fry, handle
    c. Cellar, trooper, window

First Answers:

1. a. POWER
    b. SHOE
    c. BACK

2. a. SKIN
    b. TOOTH
    c. EYE

3. a. COVER
    b. PAN
    c. STORM 

Second Answers:

1. HORSE
2. BUCK
3. DUST

Final Answer:

SAW