LA Times Crossword
December 4, 2017
Jeff Stillman

The three words below can each be followed by a different word so that the three new two-word phrases will have something very unusual in common.

DEPOT
AVERAGE
ACCURATE

Answer:

DEPOT POT
AVERAGE AGE
ACCURATE RATE

The last word and the last syllable of the preceding word are spelled the same but sound different.

Note from JA: This makes them heteronyms - sort of, because the way they sound as the last syllables are not really words.