If I remember correctly, the rationale for translating mute to think came from the book Early Buddhist Theory of Knowledge by K. N. Jayatilleke, this book has four different translations of mute.
Mute is translated to sensed three out of the four times it is translated. If this book is the reason for saying that mute only ever means thought, that is not supported by the book being cited. Sensed clearly means the felt, smelt, and tasted 75% of the time in that book. I have seen other translations where mute is translated to sensed and felt, tasted, and smelt. Bhikkhu Bodhi translates it to sensed in his translation of the Bahiya Sutta here (see page 35). Again making it clear that mute means the felt, tasted, and smelt.