diff --git a/docs/useMeasure.md b/docs/useMeasure.md
index 306fec3b6a..5b70979e6b 100644
--- a/docs/useMeasure.md
+++ b/docs/useMeasure.md
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ const Demo = () => {
 
   return (
     <div ref={ref}>
-      <div>x: {x}</div>	
+      <div>x: {x}</div>
       <div>y: {y}</div>
       <div>width: {width}</div>
       <div>height: {height}</div>
@@ -25,21 +25,40 @@ const Demo = () => {
 };
 ```
 
-This hook uses [`ResizeObserver` API][resize-observer], if you want to support 
-legacy browsers, consider installing [`resize-observer-polyfill`][resize-observer-polyfill] 
-before running your app. 
+You can also track an element you already hold a ref to, by passing it via the
+`ref` option &mdash; the hook will observe `ref.current` instead of the element
+assigned to the callback ref it returns. This also allows using multiple
+`useMeasure` hooks in the same component to track different elements.
+
+```jsx
+import { useMeasure } from "react-use";
+
+const Demo = () => {
+  const myRef = useRef(null);
+  const { width, height } = useMeasure({ ref: myRef })[1];
+
+  return (
+    <div ref={myRef}>
+      <div>width: {width}</div>
+      <div>height: {height}</div>
+    </div>
+  );
+};
+```
+
+This hook uses [`ResizeObserver` API][resize-observer], if you want to support
+legacy browsers, consider installing [`resize-observer-polyfill`][resize-observer-polyfill]
+before running your app.
 
 ```js
 if (!window.ResizeObserver) {
-  window.ResizeObserver = (await import('resize-observer-polyfill')).default;
+  window.ResizeObserver = (await import("resize-observer-polyfill")).default;
 }
 ```
 
-
 ## Related hooks
 
 - [useSize](./useSize.md)
 
-
 [resize-observer]: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/ResizeObserver
 [resize-observer-polyfill]: https://www.npmjs.com/package/resize-observer-polyfill
diff --git a/src/useMeasure.ts b/src/useMeasure.ts
index e14f217f1c..44dd74ad31 100644
--- a/src/useMeasure.ts
+++ b/src/useMeasure.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { useMemo, useState } from 'react';
+import { RefObject, useMemo, useState } from 'react';
 import useIsomorphicLayoutEffect from './useIsomorphicLayoutEffect';
 import { isBrowser, noop } from './misc/util';
 
@@ -8,6 +8,14 @@ export type UseMeasureRect = Pick<
 >;
 export type UseMeasureRef<E extends Element = Element> = (element: E) => void;
 export type UseMeasureResult<E extends Element = Element> = [UseMeasureRef<E>, UseMeasureRect];
+export interface UseMeasureOptions<E extends Element = Element> {
+  /**
+   * An optional external ref of the element to measure. When provided, the
+   * hook observes `ref.current` instead of the element assigned to the
+   * callback ref it returns.
+   */
+  ref?: RefObject<E>;
+}
 
 const defaultState: UseMeasureRect = {
   x: 0,
@@ -20,9 +28,12 @@ const defaultState: UseMeasureRect = {
   right: 0,
 };
 
-function useMeasure<E extends Element = Element>(): UseMeasureResult<E> {
+function useMeasure<E extends Element = Element>(
+  options?: UseMeasureOptions<E>
+): UseMeasureResult<E> {
   const [element, ref] = useState<E | null>(null);
   const [rect, setRect] = useState<UseMeasureRect>(defaultState);
+  const externalRef = options ? options.ref : undefined;
 
   const observer = useMemo(
     () =>
@@ -36,12 +47,13 @@ function useMeasure<E extends Element = Element>(): UseMeasureResult<E> {
   );
 
   useIsomorphicLayoutEffect(() => {
-    if (!element) return;
-    observer.observe(element);
+    const target = externalRef ? externalRef.current : element;
+    if (!target) return;
+    observer.observe(target);
     return () => {
       observer.disconnect();
     };
-  }, [element]);
+  }, [element, externalRef, externalRef && externalRef.current]);
 
   return [ref, rect];
 }
diff --git a/tests/useMeasure.test.ts b/tests/useMeasure.test.ts
index c32fdaeee7..1acee26a6a 100644
--- a/tests/useMeasure.test.ts
+++ b/tests/useMeasure.test.ts
@@ -181,3 +181,79 @@ it('calls .disconnect() on ResizeObserver when component unmounts', () => {
 
   expect(disconnect).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
 });
+
+it('tracks rectangle of an element passed via options.ref', () => {
+  let listener: ((rect: any) => void) | undefined = undefined;
+  const observed: Element[] = [];
+  (window as any).ResizeObserver = class ResizeObserver {
+    constructor(ls) {
+      listener = ls;
+    }
+    observe(el: Element) {
+      observed.push(el);
+    }
+    disconnect() {}
+  };
+
+  const div = document.createElement('div');
+  const externalRef = { current: div as Element | null };
+
+  const { result } = renderHook(() => useMeasure({ ref: externalRef }));
+
+  expect(observed).toContain(div);
+  expect(result.current[1]).toMatchObject({ width: 0, height: 0 });
+
+  act(() => {
+    listener!([
+      {
+        contentRect: {
+          x: 3,
+          y: 4,
+          width: 300,
+          height: 150,
+          top: 30,
+          bottom: 40,
+          left: 50,
+          right: 60,
+        },
+      },
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  expect(result.current[1]).toMatchObject({
+    x: 3,
+    y: 4,
+    width: 300,
+    height: 150,
+    top: 30,
+    bottom: 40,
+    left: 50,
+    right: 60,
+  });
+});
+
+it('observes a new element when options.ref.current changes', () => {
+  const observed: Element[] = [];
+  (window as any).ResizeObserver = class ResizeObserver {
+    constructor() {}
+    observe(el: Element) {
+      observed.push(el);
+    }
+    disconnect() {}
+  };
+
+  const divA = document.createElement('div');
+  const divB = document.createElement('div');
+  const externalRef = { current: divA as Element | null };
+
+  const { rerender } = renderHook(({ ref }) => useMeasure({ ref }), {
+    initialProps: { ref: externalRef },
+  });
+
+  expect(observed).toEqual([divA]);
+
+  externalRef.current = divB;
+  rerender({ ref: externalRef });
+
+  expect(observed).toEqual([divA, divB]);
+});