Aim To identify whether individual physical performance measures or a combination of measures is a better indicator of multiple geriatric syndromes (MGS) defined as the concomitant presence of more than one geriatric syndrome in an individual. Methods We carried out cross‐sectional analyses on data from 340 community‐dwelling women aged 75 years and older (mean 80.0 years). We examined the following geriatric syndromes: urinary incontinence, falls, underweight, depression and functional decline. Trained testers measured usual gait speed (UGS), hand‐grip strength and lower extremity performance (LEP) score derived from four LEP measures: tandem stance, chair stand test, alternate step and timed up‐and‐go (TUG). We categorized UGS to distinguish high‐ and low‐performing participants using the established 1.0 m/s cut‐off point. Applying the same population percentile (35.8%), we determined cut‐off points for all individual measures and the LEP score. Results The UGS, TUG and LEP score had similar discriminating powers for MGS (each with area under receiver–operator curves [AUC] of 0.80), which were more significant than the discriminating powers of other individual measures (AUC = 0.69–0.76) when considered as continuous variables. A slow UGS, especially less than 1.0 m/s, was more strongly associated with MGS (odds ratio [OR] = 7.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.6–15.9) than the same percentiles for TUG (OR = 3.9, 95% CI = 1.9–7.8) and LEP score (OR = 5.2, 95% CI = 2.5–10.6). Conclusion The UGS test alone might be sufficient in detecting MGS in women aged 75 years and older compared with a more comprehensive test battery. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2013; ●●: ●●–●●.