Let X1,X2,X3 be Banach spaces of measurable functions in L0(R) and let m(ξ,η) be a locally integrable function in R2. We say that m∈BM(X1,X2,X3)(R) if Bm(f,g)(x)=∫R∫Rf^(ξ)g^(η)m(ξ,η)e2πi<ξ+η,x>dξdη, defined for f and g with compactly supported Fourier transform, extends to a bounded bilinear operator from X1×X2 to X3. In this paper we investigate some properties of the class BM(X1,X2,X3)(R) for general spaces which are invariant under translation, modulation, and dilation, analyzing also the particular case of r.i. Banach function spaces. We shall give some examples in this class and some procedures to generate new bilinear multipliers. We shall focus on the case m(ξ,η)=M(ξ-η) and find conditions for these classes to contain nonzero multipliers in terms of the Boyd indices for the spaces.