Inventive

adj.capable, energeticwarm

Meaning 1

Skilled at producing original and workable ideas.

Reach for it when praising a person's recurring capacity for practical creativity

The inventive mechanic rebuilt the missing handle from a bicycle brake.

everyday
creative
original expression or production is meant broadly
not when Creative need not solve a practical problem or produce an invention.
warm
imaginative
vivid or original conception is the strength
not when Imaginative can remain fanciful and need not be workable.
warm
resourceful
limited means are handled with practical skill
not when Resourceful may use familiar methods rather than inventive ones.

Showing fresh, resourceful design or thought.

Reach for it when praising the originality present in a particular solution or work

An inventive sequence of mirrors carries daylight into the lower corridor.

playful
clever
a neat idea deserves light, immediate praise
not when Clever can sound faint or sly when the work is substantial.
professional
ingenious
a clever solution is surprisingly effective
not when Ingenious praises the idea's cleverness, not a person's continuing creative capacity.
professional
innovative
the approach introduces useful new practice
not when Innovative emphasizes novelty and adoption more than imaginative construction.
formal
original
the result differs genuinely from prior examples
not when Original says nothing about usefulness or skill.

inventive mind
Her inventive mind found three uses for every leftover material.
inventive solution
An inventive solution moved warm air through the old chimney.
highly inventive
The staging was highly inventive without distracting from the dialogue.

The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.