Select the most appropriate homonym to fill in the blank.

The hunter dogs followed the hyena’s ________.

The correct answer is scent.

Explanation:
Homonyms (specifically homophones in this context) are words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings. Let's analyze the meaning of each option to find the one that fits the context of hunter dogs tracking a hyena:
1. scent: a distinctive smell, especially one that is left behind by an animal and can be followed by tracking dogs. This perfectly fits the sentence: "The hunter dogs followed the hyena's scent."
2. sense: a faculty by which the body perceives an external stimulus (like sight, hearing, or smell), or a feeling/understanding (e.g., "common sense").
3. cense: a rare or obsolete verb meaning to perfume with incense.
4. cents: a unit of currency (plural of cent).
Therefore, scent is the only appropriate word for the blank.