motley vs color in

motley is a noun but color in is not a noun.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
motley	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
color in	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, color in is a hypernym of motley; that is, color in is a word with a broader meaning than motley:

Other hypernyms of motley include color, colorise, colorize, colour, colour in, colourise, colourize.

motley (noun)	color in (noun)
a multicolored woolen fabric woven of mixed threads in 14th to 17th century England
a garment made of motley (especially a court jester's costume)
a collection containing a variety of sorts of things

motley (adjective)	color in (adjective)
having sections or patches colored differently and usually brightly
consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds

motley (verb)	color in (verb)
make motley; color with different colors	add color to
make something more diverse and varied