When combining things, use verbs like TIE, COMBINE, ATTACH, JOIN, INSERT or whatever's appropriate. Allow for synonyms.
Supposing you wanted to glue a broken handle to a jug to repair a broken treasure. Three objects are involved, but you can only use one noun. The other two can be implied. You can say something like GLUE HANDLE, then your tests will check that you've got some glue ("NO GLUE", if you don't have the super glue) and that you've got something to glue it to ("TO WHAT?", if you've got the super glue, but you don't have the jug). Don't forget to allow for alternatives like REPAIR JUG ("WHAT WITH?", if you don't have the handle) or ("NO GLUE" if you've got the handle, but you don't have the super glue). Give careful thought to the order in which you do the tests.
Now, suppose you need to build something from parts. Use verbs like MAKE, BUILD and CONSTRUCT followed by the thing you need to build, e.g. MAKE RADIO, then check that you have all the parts required. If a part is missing, say so, e.g. "TRANSISTOR MISSING", and that gives you a hint as to what other objects you need.
Your last example with the apple should work well. If using the even more restrictive two-word responses, EXAMINE APPLE: Golden better.