The tissue in which all cells contact the basement membrane, even though some appear (at first glance) to be stacked on top of others, is called columnar epithelium.

The tissue in which all cells contact the basement membrane, even though some appear (at first glance) to be stacked on top of others, is called pseudostratified columnar epithelium.
 The pseudostratified columnar epithelium has epithelial cells whose nucleis are at different levels.
The upper respiratory tract epithelium is example of this type of epithelium.

This is called a pseudostratified columnar epithelium. This is an epithelium that looks stratified but is actually a single layer of cells that share a basement epithelium. Pseudostratified columnar epithelium is usually found ciliated and with interspersed goblet cells and is called the respiratory epithelium; wherein it lines most of the bronchial tree.

The answer is observations and interpreting.