I get on both sides of the plant (5)
I believe the answer is:
onion
'plant' is the definition.
The answer is an example.
'i get on both sides of' is the wordplay.
'get' becomes 'on' (I am not sure about this - if you are sure you should believe this answer much more).
'both sides of' means one lot of letters goes inside another (one word stretches round both sides of another).
'on'+'on'='onon'
'i' put into 'onon' is 'ONION'.
'the' is the link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for onion that I've seen before include "Pungent vegetable" , "Shape of Russian dome" , "Plant with edible bulb" , "Bulb used in cooking" , "Type of allium" .)