Carbon dots (CDs) can be widely used in the field of sensing because of its good water solubility, low toxicity, high fluorescence stability and excellent biocompatibility. It has become a popular trend to prepare high-value, inexpensive, renewable and environmentally friendly CDs sensors from biomass resources. This article reviewed the research progress of biomass-derived CDs as chemical, physical and biological sensors in recent years and studied their preparation processes and sensing abilities. Furthermore, the prospects and challenges of biomass-CDs sensors were discussed. This article is expected to provide inspirations for the design, preparation and application of biomass-CDs sensors in the future.