skip to main content


Random Puzzles 


??

Puzzle 1 


In each of these sentences, can you replace the missing number.

The number is written as a word (e.g. five, twenty-four, thirty-three), and each sentence is correct after the replacement.

This sentence contains ? letters, one hyphen, two commas and a full stop.
Interestingly, this sentence contains ? letters, one hyphen, three commas and the final full stop.
Finally, this sentence contains ? letters, one hyphen, three commas and one full stop.

Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone

workings hint answers print

???

Puzzle 2 


The Miller next took the company aside and showed them nine sacks of flour that were standing as depicted in the sketch.

"Now, hearken, all and some," said he, "while that I do set ye the riddle of the nine sacks of flour.

And mark ye, my lords, that there be single sacks on the outside, pairs next unto them, and three together in the middle thereof.

By Saint Benedict, it doth so happen that if we do but multiply the pair, 28, by the single one, 7, the answer is 196, which is of a truth the number shown by the sacks in the middle.

Yet it be not true that the other pair, 34, when so multiplied by its neighbour, 5, will also make 196.

Wherefore I do beg you, gentle sirs, so to place anew the nine sacks with as little trouble as possible that each pair when thus multiplied by its single neighbour shall make the number in the middle."

As the Miller has stipulated in effect that as few bags as possible shall be moved, there is only one answer to this puzzle, which everybody should be able to solve.

Sacks 7 28 196 34 5

The Miller's Puzzle, The Canterbury Puzzles, Henry Ernest Dudeney.

workings hint answer print

??

Puzzle 3 


At a local village gala, the entire population turned up, 500 people.

The event raised £3,000.

Tickets were priced as follows:
£7.48 men
£7.12 women
£0.45 children

How many children were there?

Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone

workings hint answer print

??

Puzzle 4 


Below, 10 nine-letter words have been broken into chunks of three letters.

The chunks have been moved around, no chunk is used twice, and all of the chunks are used.

Can you determine what the 10 words are?
hol rec ant imp fer con
man dif ice pol acq htn
ort myt new air sag duc
dec lig kch ogy ing tan
uit ent gle tal tor ent

Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone

workings hints answers print