A tip from draughtsman.co.uk
   
   
The following "work round" was done on a Windows NT4 workstation with standalone applications AutoCAD 2000 and Microsoft Excel for Office 97.
   
All possible variations have not been tried as the task was for a specific style of spreadsheet so take this experience as a starting point, but it does work and it's free.
The .dwg and .xls files were stored on a network that wont make any difference.

   
Sitting comfortably? ..... 

Prepare the spreadsheet in Excel keeping
(a) the ' total dimension' of all columns below 142 and
(b) the ' total dimension' of all rows below 560.
(The AutoCAD sheets were A3 and Arial text at 8pt was found to be more than large enough with the spreadsheet at 60% for comfortable reading)
   

In AutoCAD go to ... Insert > OLE object > Create from file remember to put a tick in the Link box
(this will automatically update to the latest version of the spreadsheet when the drawing is opened)
> Browse ... locate the prepared Excel document and then > Ok.

This will insert an image of the Excel document into the drawing which may, or may not, appear "cropped".  This particular method was used to create twenty-five spreadsheets formatted as above and there appeared
to be no logical or consistent reason for which ones appeared cropped and which ones did not.
   

So, if cropped ...
Double click on the image to activate the OLE link and open Excel.

Save Excel file, close Excel and return to AutoCAD.

OK to OLE properties dialog box.
You may have to do this a quite a few times (again there seemed to be no reason for some files working first time, some after a couple of saves and some requiring several) but persevere as eventually, the full spreadsheet will appear compressed into the existing cropped area.
(I have a suspicion that the above mentioned column and row limitations in Excel may be more flexible)
   

Adjust the spreadsheet size by removing the "lock aspect" tick and adjust height and width to suit.
Ok to this when finished and right click the spreadsheet to reopen the properties dialog box again, confirm the sizes to be ok and that the aspect ratio box is ticked ... then select Ok.

Again, you may have to do this a few times.
   

Ensure the OLE plot quality is set to "graphics" not text.
   

You now have a fully functional, non cropped, OLE spreadsheet in an AutoCAD drawing sheet.

It does work, although sometimes requiring a bit patience.
   

There is a column in AutoCAD support assistance that explains Excel OLE limitations.
In AutoCAD go to ... F1 or Help
>  support assistance  >  solutions index > features and commands  >  ole 
solution titled    "Large Microsoft excel spreadsheets truncated when pasted into AutoCAD"