​Mitotic spindle dynamics exhibit differences across eukaryotes. Kinesin-5 family members are tetrameric motors that govern spindle dynamics through sliding-apart antiparallel microtubules by motile units located at opposite sides of a bipolar complex. We apply an interdisciplinary strategy to study the structural adaptation of kinesin-5 homologs from lower and higher eukaryotes to their mitotic functions, including switching of motility direction, motor clustering, and antiparallel MT sliding. Our research reveals that the Saccharomyces cerevisiae kinesin-5 Cin8 clusters at microtubule minus-ends. This clustering causes a switch in motility direction and induces capturing and sliding-apart of antiparallel microtubules. Intracellular localization suggests these features are important for the mitotic function of Cin8 in vivo. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28069834 In contrast, the higher eukaryote Drosophila melanogaster kinesin-5 Klp61F undergoes only plus-end directed motility and exhibits tail-domain-dependent clustering at the microtubule plus-end. Using biochemistry, yeast genetics, and single molecule imaging, we study the mechanism of clustering in relation to motility for Cin8, S. cerevisiae kinesin-5 Kip1, and Klp61F. Furthermore, we aim to determine how kinesin-5 bipolar tetrameric organization specifies clustering and antiparallel sliding adaptations through designing structure-based minimal kinesin-5 tetramers.