way vs route

way and route both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
way	Yes	No	No	Yes
route	Yes	No	Yes	No

As nouns, route is a hyponym of way; that is, route is a word with a more specific, narrower meaning than way:

way: any artifact consisting of a road or path affording passage from one place to another
route: an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation

Other hyponyms of way include access, approach, lane, passage, path, road, staircase, stairway, watercourse, waterway.

As nouns, route is a hypernym of way; that is, route is a word with a broader meaning than way:

Other hypernyms of way include itinerary, path.

way (noun)	route (noun)
a course of conduct	an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
to have the ability to produce a particular effect or achieve an end	an established line of travel or access
a journey or passage
any artifact consisting of a road or path affording passage from one place to another
how something is done or how it happens
the property of distance in general
doing as one pleases or chooses
a general category of things; used in the expression `in the way of'
a line leading to a place or point
a portion of something divided into shares
space for movement
the condition of things generally

way (verb)	route (verb)
	send via a specific route
	divert in a specified direction
	send documents or materials to appropriate destinations

way (adverb)	route (adverb)
to a great degree or by a great distance; very much (`right smart' is regional in the United States)