vague taxi instructions
 

If you request from ground to taxi via Taxiway Echo and Bravo back taxi full length on 32 to inspect runway condition prior to taking off on 32 for ice and ground gives you taxi clearance taxi via Echo Bravo is this a proper clearance to taxi all the way to departure end of 32 via Echo Bravo ? No hold short instructions were given.

It used to be if ATC gave you a clearance to taxi to a runway you were cleared to cross any other runway via the cleared route. Now each time you cross a runway you have to be cleared to cross.

I remember the change but this was to taxi via Echo , Bravo then back taxi onto runway 32/14 so you are not crossing the runway but back taxi on it to depart on 32.The clearance was taxi via Echo, Bravo so are cleared onto 32 to back taxi since no hold short instructions were given ?

If your details are correct, and I'm understanding your phraseology, I would not think that you had clearence to taxi onto the runway.
I would have expected something along the lines of 'cleared to back taxi on runway 32.......'
Often when I land at my home field we have the chance to get off on an intersecting runway and back taxi on the runway to a taxiway close to our ramp. There is always specific instructions such as 'clear to back taxi on Rwy 13 to 'D' to parking' (paraphrased of course)

I'm sure a controller will be along any second with the book answer!

Not a controller, but one important detail that has not been mentioned is that Ground normally cannot clear an aircraft onto a runway. You must switch to Tower frequency to get clearance to enter the runway. Google FAA JO 7110.65 for a complete listing of ATC procedures and phraseology.

I would never enter a runway without an explicit clearance to do so...that memo came out a while ago.

I suspect ground took that as you explaining why you wanted to taxi to the wrong end of the runway, but expected you to get clearance from tower for the back-taxi. When back-taxiing for departure I've always gotten that part of the clearance from tower.

Ground at my class C home airport gives instructions to cross an intersecting runway on the drive over to the main runway before we leave the parking zone. That's ok since we know our way around and would stop if needed for any reason, and there are reasons sometimes, but yesterday Ground tacks on a "cleared for takeoff runway x, left turn to 270" which really surprised me being that far away from where I was. They never do that. I had not even left parking, that's a hell of a distance to clear somebody to takeoff. Plus this was across another runway which is occasionally active. All this surprised me, so when I finally got to my departure point I asked Tower to verify which they did.

We clarified and got clearance but I found it odd that that no hold short was given in the initial clearance

FAR AIM 4-3-18-a-5 & 6

Questions?

Controllers can also make mistakes, for noise abatement make sure you have a clearance for each runway. The days of
"Taxi to" (crossing all runways to the cleared runway) are over.

Would be a great reason to file an ASAP if your company has them.