When it is necessary to gain weight, either to reach a healthy weight or to add muscle bulk, the process you use determines your success. Gaining muscle is one thing, but gaining weight could also mean you're gaining fat if you have not structured your diet and training program accordingly.
Calorie Needs
If you consume fewer calories than you burn, you lose weight. If you consume more, you gain weight. Building muscle requires a calorie surplus of about 200 per day for most people, so your muscles have the fuel they need to repair themselves and grow larger. If you don't get enough calories, your training will still make you stronger but you won't add noticeable bulk. Use an online calorie calculator or consult your doctor to determine your calorie needs.
Muscle Gain
When you lift a heavy weight, the stress causes tiny tears in the muscle. When you're finished working out, your body begins to repair these tears. Over time, the repairs reinforce the muscle so it is better equipped to handle the heavy load without suffering damage -- this is why you must increase the weight you lift periodically. The muscle gets slightly larger each time it repairs itself, and if you increase the load frequently enough, it will result in noticeable growth. The growth makes the muscles heavier as well as larger, which is where the weight gain comes from.
Fat Gain
When you consume those extra 200 calories without working out, the energy your body doesn't use will be stored as fat for use at a later date. Even if you are working out, eating the wrong foods can still cause you to gain fat even as you gain muscle. If you don't eat enough protein, your body won't be able to repair your muscles, and they won't grow. If you eat more carbohydrates than you need, your body will store the extra energy as fat. Try to get 2.3 g carbohydrates and 0.63 to 0.77 g protein per pound of body weight for people attempting to gain muscle weight.
Muscle or Fat
When you step on the scale and the number is higher, it could be good or bad news. The same is true when you take your body measurements -- in either scenario, the increase could be either from additional fat or from muscle development. The only way to tell for sure is to gauge your progress using your body fat percentage. Some bathroom scales can measure it instantly, or you could have a caliper test done at a gym or doctor's office. Even if you gain weight, you are doing well as long as your body fat percentage is going down.
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