They mean almost the same but they feel different.
To understand the difference, ignore "for words" and just consider the difference between "I am at a loss" and "I am lost". They do not have the same meaning.
"I am at a loss" means I am stymied, foiled, blank, bare, emptied, stranded, forlorn.
"I am lost" just means I cannot find my way.
"At a loss" is a more powerful image.