stepping stone vs means

stepping stone and means both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
stepping stone	Yes	No	No	No
means	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, means is a hypernym of stepping stone; that is, means is a word with a broader meaning than stepping stone:

Other hypernyms of stepping stone include agency, way.

stepping stone (noun)	means (noun)
any means of advancement	to have the ability to produce a particular effect or achieve an end
a stone in a marsh or shallow water that can be stepped on in crossing	an artifact (that is instrumental in accomplishing some end) for accomplishing some end
	considerable capital (wealth or income)