I want to make following function: 1)input is a number. 2)functions are indexed, return a function whose index matches given number here's what I came up with: def foo_selector(whatfoo): def foo1(): return def foo2(): return def foo3(): return ... def foo999(): return #something like return foo[whatfoo] the problem is, how can I index the functions (foo#)? I can see functions foo1 to foo999 by dir(). however, dir() returns name of such functions, not the functions themselves. In the example, those foo-functions aren't doing anything. However in my program they perform different tasks and I can't automatically generate them. I write them myself, and have to return them by their name.