Something did work to get the ball, a mass, to be moved by the distance that it is travelling. Therefore, kinetic energy has been applied to the ball. This energy is the force that moves the mass of the ball over the distance that it travels. In turn, if the ball were to hit a window, then the mass of the window would be displaced, in fact, it may break, and we would say that kinetic energy was applied to the window. Anything that is moving has kinetic energy.
Several things affect the kinetic energy.
The heavier the object the more kinetic energy. Throw a bowling ball through a window, it carries more energy than a golf ball thrown at the same speed. The faster something is moving then the greater the force it can exert. Eg a high-speed collision creates more damage to a car than a low speed collision. An object that is raised above the earth has the potential to do work if it fell to the earth.