The complete-active-space coupled-cluster approach with single and double excitations (CASCCSD) based on the ansatz of Oliphant and Adamowicz [J. Chem. Phys. 94, 1229 (1991); 96, 3739 (1992)] is used to derive an approach termed XCASCCSD for calculating potential energy surfaces of ground and excited electronic states with different multiplicities and symmetries. The XCASCCSD approach explicitly includes a procedure for spin and spatial orbital-momentum symmetry adaptation of the wave function that has allowed us to consider states with degenerate formal references. The XCASCCSD method is applied to calculate potential energy surfaces of the ground and some lowest singlet and triplet excited states of the FH and C(2) molecules. Some states of C(2) are known to have a very strong "multireference" character making their description difficult with single-reference methods. The problem of the change of the formal reference determinant along the potential energy surface is discussed. Also, vertical excitation energies of formaldehyde calculated with the XCASCCSD approach are presented.