Federated　learning　(FL)　enables　multiple　clients　to　collaboratively　train　deep　learning　models　under　the　supervision　of　a　centralized　aggregator.　Communicating　or　collecting　the　local　private　datasets　from　multiple　edge　clients　is　unauthorized　and　more　vulnerable　to　training　heterogeneity　data　threats.　Despite　the　fact　that　numerous　studies　have　been　presented　to　solve　this　issue,　we　discover　that　deep　learning　models　fail　to　attain　good　performance　in　specific　tasks　or　scenarios.　In　this　paper,　we　revisit　the　challenge　and　propose　an　efficient　federated　clustering　mutual　learning　framework　(FedCML)　with　an　semi-supervised　strategy　that　can　avoid　the　need　for　the　specific　empirical　parameter　to　be　restricted.　We　conduct　extensive　experimental　evaluations　on　two　benchmark　datasets,　and　thoroughly　compare　them　to　state-of-the-art　studies.　The　results　demonstrate　the　promising　performance　from　FedCML,　the　accuracy　of　MNIST　and　CIFAR10　can　be　improved　by　0.53　%　and　1.58　%　for　non-IID　to　the　utmost　extent　while　ensuring　optimal　bandwidth　efficiency　(4.69　×　and　4.73　×　less　than　FedAvg/FeSem　for　the　two　datasets).　©　2023,　The　Author(s),　under　exclusive　license　to　Springer　Nature　Switzerland　AG.