To achieve carbon neutrality goals, renewable alcohols and new technologies are receiving increased attention. Variable valve technology can effectively improve engine efficiency. However, there is limited research on valve strategies suitable for alcohol. To further promote the efficient and clean application of alcohol, this article studies the effects of intake valve timing and lift on performance of ethanol, n-butanol, and gasoline engines under stoichiometric combustion and lean burn. It is found that the combustion process of ethanol and n-butanol is prolonged by advancing intake valve timing, while gasoline is the opposite. Meanwhile, the improvement of equivalent brake-specific fuel consumption (ESFC) is the most significant when fueled with gasoline, improving by 6.9 %. The improvement of BSNOx is the highest when fueled with ethanol, improving by 42.07 %. Adjusting intake valve lift has a weaker impact on economy than valve timing. However, when adjusting the combination of throttle, valve lift and timing, the ESFC of ethanol, n-butanol, and gasoline can be reduced by 6.79 %, 4.35 %, and 10.98 %. Furthermore, combining valve timing and lean burn can further improve economy and emissions. The ESFC of ethanol, n-butanol, and gasoline can be decreased by 12.73 %, 6.87 %, and 11.96 %, while BSNOx decrease by 93.69 %, 74.86 % and 61.65 %.