dig, delve, excavate
掘 centers on breaking into the ground or a surface to remove material: digging, delving, or excavating.
掘 combines 扌 (hand) with 屈, which likely contributes the sound and the idea of bending or crouching, suggesting digging with a hand tool.
The hand radical 扌 beside 屈 (which suggests bending or crouching) paints a picture of a hand bending down to dig into the earth.
For クツ, imagine digging with your boots: boots -> クツ, and your hands are excavating the ground.
to dig; to excavate; to hollow
excavation; exhumation; digging up; unearthing
mining; digging; working (a mine)
digging out; excavation
(lucky) find; bargain; good buy; treasure trove
to dig down
to dig up; to unearth; to uncover
illegal digging; illegal mining; grave robbing; tomb robbing
to dig up; to turn up; to tear up
prospecting; trial digging
to dig out; to pick up
erection of a pillar by sinking it directly into the ground
to perform anal sex (between men); to bugger; to sodomize; to sodomise
to perform anal sex (between men); to bugger; to sodomize; to sodomise
tunnel boring machine; TBM
overmining (e.g. of coal); reckless mining
well digging; well digger
underground mining
underground coal mine
gravedigger