Meaning

noun prolific English writer best known for his science-fiction novels; he also wrote on contemporary social problems and wrote popular accounts of history and science (1866-1946)

noun a deep hole or shaft dug or drilled to obtain water or oil or gas or brine

noun a cavity or vessel used to contain liquid

originFrom Old English wella, genitive plural of well (“spring”), in reference to a residence near a group of springs. The original use of the genitive case here would've indicated origin. The -s ending of the modern form would be added later on upon reanalysis after the breakdown of the case system (outside of pronouns) that occurred in the development of English.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0