台階(台阶 in CHS) means steps of stairs. there is a movie call The Thirty Nine Steps which in chinese is 三十九级台阶. it can also be used as a figure of speech. if you say something or someone 上了一个新台阶, you say that it or he make progress and reach a higher level.

i would say it means stage. no matter the stage of stairs or stage of conditions or the words make others don´t feel amberos. eg：商店门口台阶太多了不好。it's not good if there're too many stages in front of a shop. 我们的工作又上了一个新台阶。 we made great progress in our work. 你给他一个台阶下他就会接受你的意见了。if you choose correct words and talk in a gentle way, don't make him feel amberos, then he will accept your advice.

it means "step" if you want to go upstares you must "'climb many steps" in china it called台阶